Four Stroke Engine
So I finally got to hear out single properly last night. Went round Ed's house and popped it on his £200 turntable through his BBC monitor grade speakers, and my god, what a difference a decent stereo makes. For the first time, I listened to it and didn't hear the mistakes, didn't hear the pops and phase differences, I just heard... "WOW!!! This sounds THIS BIG!!!!" and actually felt proud, like I'd really accomplished something.
And I needed that, after the rubbish review I'd read by some shouty teenager who just doesn't Get. It. (It's one thing to not like a piece of music, or think it's not your thing. But it's quite another to get something TOTALLY FACTUALLY WRONG and that's what pisses me off.) I just don't want to read that kind of crap because it winds me up and pisses me off - that's why I asked my thicker-skinned bandmate to do the round up this time.
But then I picked up a copy of MusicMart (music magazine done by the Sound On Sound people, geared towards gigging musicians rather than recording ones) and read the most wonderful, amazing, *getting it* review/profile of Truck. A technical music mag which is not totally demeaning and patronising towards females! Hallelujah! I feel like I've waited mine whole life for this.
I'm not in the greatest of minds today. Woke up at 5am with the STRESSTRESSTRESS and couldn't get back to sleep for ages, even with the help of warm milk. I'm SHITTING MYSELF over this BBC taping thing tonight. The two things I hate most in the world - being photographed and being interviewed, both at the same time. But I suppose it's been a long time since I was this nervous about a gig. About the same time as the last time I really *enjoyed* a gig. Perhaps the nerves are an essential part of what makes it exciting.
But still, the annoying things grate. Having to lug several stone of laptop, guitar and pedals on the train at rush hour is not fun. But one of my bandmates did ring and ask if she needed to bring the amp. And another ran around and did all the work booking a last minute studio to play in. It's nice having some of the pressure taken off me.
It's one of the weird thing about being in a leadership role. One of the most effective management skills you can master is the art of delegation. Which I'm rubbish at. This is something I've learned at work. I have this attitude that if it takes longer to explain something to someone else, I might as well do it myself. If I have to ask someone more than once, I'll do it myself. If they try, and get it wrong... you get the picture.
But sometimes I guess it takes pulling back and walking away - and if you're lucky, someone else will actually step forward and take up the slack. That's the person to delegate to, and indeed, the person you should promote in an effective business.
We need to discuss how to implement this in a band setting...
Oh, and to cheer me up, here's an underage Benjamin:
And I needed that, after the rubbish review I'd read by some shouty teenager who just doesn't Get. It. (It's one thing to not like a piece of music, or think it's not your thing. But it's quite another to get something TOTALLY FACTUALLY WRONG and that's what pisses me off.) I just don't want to read that kind of crap because it winds me up and pisses me off - that's why I asked my thicker-skinned bandmate to do the round up this time.
But then I picked up a copy of MusicMart (music magazine done by the Sound On Sound people, geared towards gigging musicians rather than recording ones) and read the most wonderful, amazing, *getting it* review/profile of Truck. A technical music mag which is not totally demeaning and patronising towards females! Hallelujah! I feel like I've waited mine whole life for this.
I'm not in the greatest of minds today. Woke up at 5am with the STRESSTRESSTRESS and couldn't get back to sleep for ages, even with the help of warm milk. I'm SHITTING MYSELF over this BBC taping thing tonight. The two things I hate most in the world - being photographed and being interviewed, both at the same time. But I suppose it's been a long time since I was this nervous about a gig. About the same time as the last time I really *enjoyed* a gig. Perhaps the nerves are an essential part of what makes it exciting.
But still, the annoying things grate. Having to lug several stone of laptop, guitar and pedals on the train at rush hour is not fun. But one of my bandmates did ring and ask if she needed to bring the amp. And another ran around and did all the work booking a last minute studio to play in. It's nice having some of the pressure taken off me.
It's one of the weird thing about being in a leadership role. One of the most effective management skills you can master is the art of delegation. Which I'm rubbish at. This is something I've learned at work. I have this attitude that if it takes longer to explain something to someone else, I might as well do it myself. If I have to ask someone more than once, I'll do it myself. If they try, and get it wrong... you get the picture.
But sometimes I guess it takes pulling back and walking away - and if you're lucky, someone else will actually step forward and take up the slack. That's the person to delegate to, and indeed, the person you should promote in an effective business.
We need to discuss how to implement this in a band setting...
Oh, and to cheer me up, here's an underage Benjamin:
posted by Masonic Boom | 1:30 pm
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