Tuba frenzy

It's been a week of musical contrasts. After the Ash Bash gig of last weekend I've been rehearsing with Soul Beaver - well, some of Soul Beaver. We played through songs with a band consisting of minimal drums, bass, trombone and vocals. When things went well it sounded quite compelling.

On the iPod this week have been two Robert Fripp soundscapes (downloaded from the excellent DGM Live site), the KTU album recommended recently by Sid Smith and electronic/tuba music from Oren Marshall (I can't get the link to work but Google him for more information). I read about him in The Wire and was intrigued by the sonic range possible from a tuba (or five), some electronics and (more importantly) industrial quantities of imagination.

Last night Soul Beaver played a typical set for a council Christmas party. We played quite well but the audience seemed frightened by live music, only swarming onto the dance floor when the disco came on. I'm a bass player, and I'm used to music at volume but this was music at RIDICULOUS VOLUME and I had to scrapple about for ear plugs during the break. The only way people seemed to enjoy themselves was to be deafened and dulled by booze. I'm not sure I saw any genuine happiness in a room filled with people.

On the way to the gig I saw a lady stroking what appeared to be a dead labrador on a pathway. It was an image that would have fitted a bleak moment in a low budget movie. It stayed with me through the gig.

And hey, kids, on that happy note, J and I should be off to see musical creations in Ely soon. Expect a report here and elsewhere.