As we know most of today’s music industry lives online. No more are the days where A&R or trendy radio production teams go out and spend a few hours to see a live band, everyone watches on the internet. It’s all about social media numbers, views, subscribers, followers, how many people like the photos of your salads and cups of coffee and your never-ending collection of selfies etc. Although I’m not gonna rant about it, which is unlike me. Instead I’m saying, ‘If you can’t beat em, join em.’
When I first started gigging and forming a band there was obviously a lot of rehearsal required, which involved one very special location that has played a big part in my musical journey so far…my basement. It’s the classic band-rehearsing-in-the-garage scenario. However we were rehearsing in, what started off being, my half-built basement in our house that’s being redeveloped. No lights, no power sockets, no floor or ceiling. Just a concrete floor and four brick walls, which was fine – its an empty place to rehearse that’s not gonna charge studio fees. But I have to know you for a while before I bring you to my basement! For any new musicians that I’d start working with, I would usually book studios to look professional. But after a couple of months (past the honeymoon stage) we’d use the basement. My musicians will never forget the first time they came to my basement, especially on dark winter nights when they’d have to wait for me to rig up some flood lights, a mini radiator and several extension leads so that we’d have electricity. We’d rehearse wearing coats, hats, scarves, gloves and thermals because bricks and concrete retain no heat. A pizza delivery guy would knock on the ground floor window and someone would slide up the sash like a dumbwaiter (no pun intended) to take the delivery. That was the time the basement flooded and we rehearsed in a derelict lounge. It has a certain charm. The basement.
A basement rehearsal used to look a bit like this…
So present day, the basement has a plywood floor finish, it has a plaster-board ceiling, it has decorative lighting, power supply and a sofa! So for those internet lovers, I’ve started a new YouTube channel called…
“BAND IN A BASEMENT”
Now YOU have the pleasure of visiting my basement. Click the image to take a look…
This is a spin on “Band On A Bus” – that time when we went round London singing songs on an open-top route master…remember? It’s a work in progress. I’m gonna be recording tunes from the comfort of my basement along with some fabulous musicians I’ve met over the past couple of years. We’re gonna post videos once a week, perhaps with some special guests here and there like Dave Swift, Mo Pleasure, Neville Staple and Junior (Mamma Used To Say). Feel free to comment or get in touch if you have any song requests or ideas as to where we can put the band next (e.g. ‘Band on a Balcony’, ‘Band In A Bar’ ‘Band on a Boat’, it has to alliterate!) and remember to SUBSCRIBE to Band In A Basement!
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Doik! No wonder I thought grapevine would be a good choice for you… Obviously I had already heard it… LOL… Never grow old… I must be losing my mind !!! Back to the old drawing board! Xo
What a great idea…can’t wait to subscribe to your new YouTube channel…gonna have to think of some song requests in the meantime. All the best!!! xo
Hey Tammy, thanks. Please do and we’ll see what we can do with it to fit ‘my style’!
Look out for a new cover coming this week.
Georgia x
Will do, Miss Georgia. ?Although I of course prefer your original material, it’s fun to imagine how you and your band would interpret and cover other songs. Have you tried “I Heard it Thru the Grapevine”?! How about “Big Bad Handsome Man” by Imelda May?, or “Always” by Bobby Darin? 🙂 Best to you, as always, Gerogia. xo
I do ‘Heard It Through The Grapevine’ at the beginning of my set normally, although this is an acoustic version performed with Dave Swift from The Jools Holland R&B Orchestra ====> Click Here <===== similar in texture to Amelda May's 'Big Bad Handsome Man'. - Great performance though by Amelda who ironically is a good friend of Dave Swift's.
Hey Georgia! Just driving around listening to music in my car and again, I was thinking about your idea of asking your followers to come up with song requests. I’m curious as to what goes into the decision-making process when choosing to cover a song by another artist and giving it your own spin? Is the general idea to select material that people wouldn’t normally associate with your style, and then put your own signature on it? That brings to mind an experience I had last year while attending a Willie Nelson concert. As I am sure you know, Willie is a well-known American country and western singer and (prolific!) songwriter, with many of his songs having been written for other artists, as well as much of his material having been covered by other artists associated with different genres. Having said that, Willie surprised us, not only with his stamina (he’s 84!) but with a full set of all of his old songs that we knew and expected to hear, but instead of being backed by his usual country band, he was being accompanied by a group of musicians whose sound was closer to a jazzy sort of combo. Quite different and kind of cool! Anyway I just listened to “Imagine” by John Lennon, and I believe you could totally rock it and give it a soulful edge. Is that sac-religious, lol?!? All the best to you, as always. Things look good for Captain B and I to catch one of your shows in February. ? Do they have a “senior” discount at the Lighthouse?!? Just kidding. ?
Tammy
Hey Tammy,
Don’t worry. The Lighthouse is Free Entry! Be warned though, it is a bit gritty and basic! But I love it! Make sure it’s not February 1st as I’m not there that Thursday 🙂
Covers I’m looking for have to be ‘Anthem’. Songs you know the words to and love and can’t help but sing along to. I don’t mind if they are, ‘cheesy’. In fact the cheesier the better as most bands wouldn’t touch those kind of songs with a bargepole. Think, ‘The Proclaimers’ and ‘500 Miles’. I’ll be doing a neat Ska version of this song this year.
I also performed a re-arranged version of ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor over the weekend at The Lainsborough, which was received very well. Audiences seem love my versions of ‘Bang A Gong’ by T.Rex and ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis (although the Gallaghers would hate it with a vengeance).
I’ll have a listen to ‘Imagine’. It fits the criteria then it maybe a candidate. Thanks for getting involved with suggestions.
Much love
Georgia xx
Got it. ? How about “Can’t Take My Eyes of of You” by Frankie Valli, or (this one’s a stretch?) John Denver’s “Take Me Home Country Roads”…even The Beatles’ “Let it Be” would be interesting. The two cheesiest songs I can think up at the moment are “Feelings” and “She’s Having my Baby”, ha ha ha ha! ? BTW, I loved your rendition of “Hit the Road Jack. ? Best to you, Georgia.
Okay, two more, and I’m glad to leave you alone. ?
1. “Crazy” by Patsy Cline
2. Anything super cheesy by Tom Jones…eg., “It’s Not Unusual”, or “Help Yourself”.?