Halifax Sunday

Live in or near Halifax? Join us next Sunday afternoon at this lovely venue, @graystonunity with @mckinneygordon and @thesilverreserve 

Tickets: https://www.seetickets.com/event/afternoon-of-storytellers/the-grayston-unity-hx1-1pu/3631481

DaDaDa in Sheffield, Saturday

Who's coming to the @dadada_fanzine party on Saturday in Sheffield? with @sassyhiya @milkywimpshake @crumbsband @steve_dore_ and The Middle Ones. 

And me! I'm on at 5.30

Tickets here: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Sheffield/Channing-Hall/DA-DA-DA-party/42375316/?

To Cool You Down! Come On A Beachwalk!

 

Doing Too Much

I'm doing too much work on the songs because it's so hot that it's impossible to do anything else. One good thing is realising that in some cases what I hear in my head is not possible. That Hofner bass guitar sound with reverb? You actually need a Hofner bass guitar for that, and I haven't got one any more.

But two songs that I thought sounded awful now sound great. And the clever little chord sequence that I inserted into a simple song sounds terrible. And one song that I spent ages putting a bass line on sounds better without it.

One day, I might think it's stupid to go backwards songwriting-wise. But there's a driving force behind these songs that is making me feel really strong when perhaps life issues could be making me feel weak.

The most ironic thing is having spent almost a lifetime bringing the stories of punk women into visibility in ways that mean that they couldn't be swept under the carpet ever again, there is currently a large powerful broom sweeping me under the carpet. Me and my big ideas! 

Bass Big Hands

Yesterday was a reminder that you need not only a different mindset but different fingers (same hands) to play bass guitar. Long strides instead of tiptoes. Needs a couple of days of immersion!

Bass and Bluebottles

You open the door and in come the bluebottles, wasps and gnats. Today though, despite the heat, I am totally focused on playing bass.

In my head, the songs have had basslines playing alongside them for days, if not weeks. It's just that they didn't seem quite ready.

I've just recorded bass on to a song, and suddenly the whole project seems grown-up. What I played was really simple, but sound is so complicated. In an instant, the resonance of the backing vocals came to the forefront, sounding positively aeolian. The dodgy lead vocal became entirely acceptable and the slightly 'off' guitar sound made sense, reaching down from its perch to invite the bass into the song.

I threw out an irrelevant section straight away.

With bass you can dance your body as you play, even if it's just in your head. I'm going to have a busy afternoon. 

Get on with your own business, buzzy things, and I'll get on with mine.

Woman Paints Fan, Valencia

 

Guitar Editing

This morning's task has been to continue editing the guitar parts for the album. I've discovered that if Flextime is used too much, you can hear it really obviously on the tracks. There's only one track where this is a problem- in fact the track has been a bundle of problems right from the start because of it's odd, stilted rhythm. The rhythm may well dictate the fact that the whole thing is going to be slightly offbeat, but that might be nice. Maybe!

For an ears rest I go out into the back yard and listen to next door's down-talking. The dog barks quite a lot, but then that's what dogs do. At least it doesn't sound hysterical, like the poor Springer Spaniel that used to be shut in all day by itself in the house on the other side. That dog used to try to get out through the letterbox, and you could hear it yelping from the bottom of the street. I spoke to the owners about that, just once. 'No, you can't', they gaslit.

Probably like a lot of people, I've been trying to avoid Mr Frogface the Tedious Bulshitter ever since... always. Tennis, football and Frogface: the tellybox is having a rest for a bit. I'm roaring through the terrible crime paperbacks like nobody's business, although I've read an actual novel this week, which seemed to be very dull until the last few pages, which suddenly became incredibly sad. Was it worth the emotional labour? I'm not sure. Life is full of emotional labour at the best of times anyway without a novel rubbing your face in the nettles (that was a village punishment meted out by the village bully to little boys that she didn't like) (and no, it wasn't me!).

Women Knitting, Waverley Station, Edinburgh

 

Man Watches Log Train Passing, Carlisle Station

 

Daylight Music, St John's Church, Leytonstone

Daylight Music is a wonderful concept: lunchtime concerts concentrated into a two-hour time slot in churches. It started in the Union Chapel in Islington, where I played and where I met Robert Rotifer and Ian Button, actually. They were part of the late Judy Dyble's band, who were playing that day.

It's now moved to Leytonstone, not far from the tube station. Going yesterday was a no-brainer because not only was Clémentine March playing, but Terry Edwards was playing between the main acts.

They have food and drink: cake, quiche, coffee. The slice of quiche I bought remained delicious even though I dropped it face first on the ground (shh!). There was a pile of blank postcards, and two artists drawing live: their drawings were projected on a screen alongside the performers. I drew some postcards, which are on my Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/helenmccookerybook/

Ben Eshmade was master of ceremonies, as well he should be. He has been the driving force behind this from the start. In a bright pink t-shirt and with bright orange hair he lassooed the volunteers, performers and audience into a Saturday lunchtime community where we all felt comfortable and welcome. Thank you, Ben.

Clémentine was first to perform. The last time I saw her she had a band and was playing 'electric', with an effects pedal, drummer and bass player. This time she was acoustic, with a basic drum machine for some of the songs. Her voice is really distinctive and (my favourite thing), devoid of any affectation. She is so different to Hollie Cook as a performer, but there is that same clear declaration of musicality in the way that she sings. There was an almost-yodel in Power of your Dreams, but that's as far as it got. Perhaps you could compare her singing to that of Joan as Policewoman, but her songwriting is very, very different. In Clémentine's chord cupboard there are Brazilian riffs, but also references to the Canterbury songwriting of Kevin Ayers. The latter is more apparent when she plays electric, but you could still hear whiffs of it in the acoustic performance. Yes, the songs... I always love it when I see someone and wish I'd written one of the songs. Lucie is such a song. As far as I can see, it's perfect. She played a couple of songs from her forthcoming album, Planets and Whispers. It was good to hear her challenging herself with new material in such an exposed setting- though she said that she loves playing in churches.

Terry Edwards is a multi instrumentalist (he's the chap who played that riff on Three Cheers for Toytown) and he played a piano interlude as the changeover took place. Ben then introduced Dominy Hooper, a cellist/guitarist from the West Country. She played a song about the perils of the countryside, called Hurricane, on electric guitar. Both the guitar songs and the cello songs reminded me of the Penguin Café Orchestra, who I really love. Her singing voice is strong and powerful and passionate, and it blended particularly well with the cello playing.

After another Terry interlude, Isa Gordon took the final spot. Her music is much more folk-rooted in Scottish and American traditions, and she played from her new album, 8 Men. The first song, To The Wall, was acapella, then she played electric guitar along to a backing track.  The subjects ranged from ancient advice to women to keep their pants on, to horrendous pig farms in Wiltshire, via War Pigs by Black Sabbath, where she demonstrated some superb guitar playing. Despite the folk origins of her work, there was a definite nod to Laurie Anderson in parts of her set.

Ian Damaged and Alison Wonderland were there, and we had a nice chat. And Terry has just written a string quartet. In fact it was such a friendly session that I found myself talking to lots of people, including a conversation about Red Kites with the man on the door. Did you know they have been encouraged southwards down the M4 from Birmingham?

Well, that's it for today!

BPMs

You have to be strict with yourself when you record at home.

One of the songs was 10 beats per minute too fast, and I gritted my teeth and re-recorded the guitar part. I made such a mess of it that I did three different versions to edit from- but they were all so different I had to give up and just play the whole song again.

I closed the computer after that.

Tomorrow, I'll listen to see if it's any good.

Over the weekend I'll do repairs to other guitar parts, and some re-writing of clunky lyrics (if I can do it).

Then maybe next week can be vocals week!

High Tide Festival

This is a big free festival in Twickenham. I will be playing at 1 p.m. in the Eel Pie Pub, joined on the day by Ruth Tidmarsh, Lester Square and Karina Townsend

 

Recording Again

I've 'laid down' the guitars for the last song of the album, and also re-recorded the guitar parts for another song and made them worse.

It's time to watch Boon, nestled as it is between ads for funeral plans, will pledges and stairlifts. How cheery! The approaching full stop of life has never looked so enticing!

Might have another go at those guitars after Boon. In the afternoon, after Boon. Ha ha!

Grayston Unity Coming Up

 https://www.seetickets.com/event/afternoon-of-storytellers/the-grayston-unity-hx1-1pu/3631481