Blog: To Derby!

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Back on the train and back up to Derby again last night, for yet another Validators practice session. OH! what a tight rocking unit we are!

I arrived to find a former scene of DISARRAY, recently RE-ARRAYED, as the rehearsal place we use had got us down to be in the night before... as it turned out all was well, especially as this meant we could have our usual room again, yet still the owner was EXTREMELY apologetic, which was all very lovely of him, especially when he came in halfway through and offered to make a cup of tea for everyone! Rob and Tom succumbed, but Tim RESISTED: "I've spent 22 years not drinking tea while I'm drumming", he said, "and I'm not about to start now." The GLINT in his eye though, at the thought of a HOT REFRESHING cup of TEA was there for all to see.

Anyway, we started at reduced strength as Emma wasn't able to come, which was a BIG SHAME as I'd REALLY been looking forward to us SHOWING OFF all the Proper Singing Bits we'd worked out last time, these shall have to wait until our next get together i guess, which is the "dress rehearsal" (hem hem) for the Woodhouse Eaves Christmas Spectacular. We kicked off with "The Gay Train", which sounded MIGHTILY MIGHTY, and now ends with an Extended Bit, which I think I shall fill by quoting the father of my good friend Mr Paul Myland - Mileage, for it is he, when drunk, often gets a bit sentimental, and one thing he is fond of quoting is his dad's Wise Thoughts On Things, one of which is "Straight or Gay - it's all love". That seems to me to be something NICE to be singing, especially if we bring back the WRENS and the Male Voice Choirs from "One Last Party"... Mind you, Tom was doing some INSPIRED noises at this point, so maybe it'll stay a VIOLIN SOLO.

We moved on with "Breaks In The Journey" and "Never Going Back To Aldi's", at which point Tim's drumstool BUST. He went to get a temporary replacement (a rather fetching pink and faux leopardskin ensemble which, i thought, rather suited him), during which we started on HOT NEW SONG "Quality Of Life Enhancement Device." This sounded BLOODY GRATE, and it is a mark of what a Good Thing these practices are that we GOT IT almost straight away. It sounds ACE! Words hopefully to follow later in the week, but be gladdened to know that it features the Classic Pattison Drum Fill that appears to great wonder and AWE on many of our records, but hadn't popped up yet in these sessions. You'll know it when you hear it!

ENLIVENED we then did "Zipcodes", which sounded a little Over Complicated, as there's LOTS of Words, LOTS of violin, and LOADS of chugging guitar noises. We had a CONFLAB, after which Rob and I swapped instruments - he's borrowing my bass until he can get a new one, so i was VERY happy to have a go on my Most Favourite Instrument for a bit (indeed, i had been COVETING it all night), and while i JOYFULLY played bass he came up with a NEW BIT for me to play. Learning it will be my Fretwork Homework for the weekend. Adjudging it wise to LEAVE that until next time, we put some HEAVY WORK into "Girlfriend Alarmed", which is sounding BRILLIANT, tho i say so myself as shouldn't... Ooh, it's dead good! We worked HARD on the middle section, with Tim POUNDING out various bits, and when Rob and I listened to it again on his MP3 player this morning it sounded GOOD. YEAH!

We then WHIPPED through "The Lesson Of The Smiths", recorded the above middle section, also QOLED, and then headed for the PUB for Last Orders, where we discussed RECORDING PLANS. We all got a bit excited, EVINCED by the fact that Tim's been sending me possible STUDIO locations today, and I've been fondly imagining us LOLLING IN THE CONSERVATORY whilst MAGICAL TUNES are recorded... Aaah! Life inside my HEAD! What a wonderful place to be!

posted 10/11/2004 by MJ Hibbett

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