My New Favourite T Shirt!

Of special interest to any Danes out there.

I saw this in a shop on Saturday and immediately wanted needed it.

I was unsure of exactly which language the text is in, though my linguistic knowledge is vast enough to have known that it's something scandinavian.

When we got back to my apartment K and I googled the text to try to figure out the language but even that was inconclusive, telling us that it was either Danish or Swedish. I hope for the latter, having a big soft spot for all things Danish.

And there I was at a Solskala gig on Saturday night, a kicking one at that, my favourite gig with Solskala so far.

A fellow came up to me, raving about my T shirt. Turns out that he's a translator, doing English to Danish and the other way around ( I assume!). He proceeded to read the T shirt, to tell me exactly what it means, which I promptly forgot, and to insist on having a photograph taken with me, him and the T shirt, so that he could send it to his cousins in Denmark.

We chatted a bit about Danish cousins, a couple of which I own too, though not the same ones as the chap.

It's weird isn't it?

I saw the thing for sale, wanted it and bought it. But I wonder, what on Earth would make a clothes designer realise that an idea like this would be a good one? That is, if it is a good one. I'm not arrogant enough to think that just because I like it means that it's a commercial success.

Still, it's my new favourite one and it's not even a Superdry item, which makes me feel a tad disloyal, but it's by Coca Cola and I am a firm fan of that company too.

My only problem now is to be careful that I don't wear it too often. The trials and tribulations of a committed metrosexual eh?

Random Musical Pieces

The musical side of my life marches onwards at a steadyish 120 BPM, mostly in standard time but with the occasional bar of 5/4 thrown in when I lose count.

The covers band has reached a level that can best be described as some place between rapid progress and standing still. We don't get together as often as any of us would like, not enough to learn loads of new songs that is, yet all our lives dictate that we can't, so that's okay then.

When we do hit the studio we spend a bit of time practicing the old songs and about two thirds of the time working on new material. The more honed we get the less time we need on the old material. Which is nice. Debates on our choice of new songs are long and, in the case of the drummer, often unsuccessful. I've been pushing the idea of doing some Biffy Clyro and a rocked up version of an Abba song, preferably Knowing Me Knowing You and have been rejected on both counts.

We are now kicking out our cover of Muse's cover of the famous Feeling Good. It's had a new impetus after featuring in an ad or two here and people love it. I'm also hugely enjoying playing Stay with Me, the original being by The Faces. It's the perfect example of balls out British R + B, from when R+B meant a different thing.

Times like These by the Foos has been a re entry into our setlist too. We play the full album version, with 8 bars of 7/4 at the beginning and 11 during the middle. It means I have to do a lot of counting, always a struggle! It's one of those songs that's invariably only appreciated by a few people in the audience but we luurve to play, so there.

My homework for this week is to learn this new song by Adele. It's all over the radio and TV here and not a soul doesn't like it, but it doesn't half remind me of Crazy by Gnarls Barkley, which really is a brilliant song. Still, it'll probably go down well, providing of course we can raise or lower the key enough to suit our singer.

Solskala, the originals band, is a very different animal. Our curve is currently much steeper, as we gather momentum, perfecting the existing songs and developing and learning new ones. Songwriting is not something I claim any expertise in, but I enjoy the experience of trying to come up with drum parts and grooves for songs in which other people have already done most of the hard work.

It's challenging to figure out a groove that complements the song, that fits nicely and that isn't over complicated. There's nothing worse than a musician who throws everything he or she knows into everything they play, just because they can. I'm of the opinion that a massive part of musicianship is playing for the song, knowing what not to play is way more important that knowing what to play.

And, when songs are written as demos, with a drum track already down, but I'm given license to do whatever I want, the challenge is to have an open mind whilst still staying true to the feel of the original, yet not just copying the original. Balance is the key.

Either way, Solskala is something I'm so enjoying and, if you're in London, there's a gig on April 21st if you're interested in checking out our mellow funky sunshiny vibes.

On the learning avenue I'm also doing things. My lessons with the new (though it's now about 6 months) teacher continue to be more stimulating than Strawberry flavoured Space Dust. We're covering a mixture of things; Latin grooves for my independence, linear fills for my creativity and musical library and exercises to a click, in which I'm shifting the beat, to make me more comfortable in my relationship with time.

I've felt the effects of these lessons in my playing. I'm not sure that any of my bandmates have, but I know it's there. I'm conscious of feeling more fluent around the kit and of carving out a deeper groove than I did before. And, even if I say it myself, I was a groovy mother to start with!

In my first lesson with this teacher I told him that one of my objectives was to have a bigger musical library, so I could pull out fills and phrase from it on demand, but also that I had the ability to play the things in it. I definitely think I'm making progress with that, though it'll be a lifelong journey anyhow.

There you have it. The music continues. And I love it.

PS - I had two look up two words in this post in the dictionary. If you can guess which ones you win absolutely nothing, just kudos and the knowledge that you're smarter than the average bear.

Music, Excitement and Eid

Firstly I'd like to wish Eid Mubarak to all my Muslim readers. May it be a happy one.

I'm all excitement here, that butterfly in the stomach, there's too many good things happening to be excited about kind of thing.

Last night's Solskala gig was good, though the audience was small, and I don't mean that in a Sri Lankan average height was less than five foot sort of way. It was a club night in a highly trendy central London bar, with three other bands and a crowd who mostly looked like they'd just strolled in from a photoshoot for an Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue.

We were first on, always a precarious position, but we went down well and grooved hard and deeply. My first lesson last week with my new drum teacher has made me concentrate much harder when I play. Concentrate on the issue he pointed out to me about my groove. This is a slight bummer, my playing is better already but I'm at the conscious competence stage, during which I'm thinking about things, not yet flowing gracefully and naturally.

The relaxed and flow stage will come, as I practice more, I've just got to get through it. Still, the outward result is that my playing is better, even now.

The thing about these club gigs for originals bands, is the interesting variety of other music I get to see and hear. Some are great, some are terrible but, as a musician, albeit a drummer, they're always stimulating in some way or other.

Following us was a duo; a straight looking nerdy guy with glasses and the full Clark Kent look and a camper than a campsite singer with make up, effeminate clothing and dance moves that would have had Freddie Mercury and all the blokes in Village People drooling with admiration.

Clark played acoustic guitar, sang backing vox and took charge of all the effects while Freddie sang lead, danced like his life depended on it and rubbed his lycra at appropriate moments. They were like a cabaret act, with backing tapes and souped up versions of already well known songs. But they were fun.

One of the other bands was a bunch of well spoken posh Brit indi kids. They played slightly angsty indi rock and had a feel of well educated yet have no money, but only at the moment because we've all got loaded parents and are just pretending we don't have, about them. They were the kind of kids I'd quite like A or K to date, full of politeness, introducing themselves, shaking hands and being good eggs. Their music and vibe was fun and energetic, in a Coldplay on acid way, just not the sort of thing I'd opt to listen to.

I didn't hang around to watch the other band, for my need to get back was great.

The excitement builds as C is arriving tonight. I've tidied RD Towers, well P the cleaner has, and all is ready. And then tomorrow it's, yes, it's Muse at Wembley Stadium.

Oh lordy lord, things don't get much better for me. I'm going to Muse, at Wembley Stadium, with C, with A and with K.

So my weekend will be a top one.

Et vous?