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GarageBand on iPhone. Not as easy to use as on a MacBook but Amplitube iRig and MultitrackDAW seriously want to rethink their pricing! This top dog of “prosumer” Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) is killer at AU$5:50 on the App Store, yet pretty much does most of what it’s Macintosh sibling does, except mayby track counts and inputs.
Onscreen instruments are better suited to iPad, I think, but still quite usable 
for sketching a melody or bass line. The Automatic Instruments seem at first play to be a little “samey” but I think there’s a knack to how you you use them which will come with experience. It’s certainly better than having a favourite drum loop and using it over and over in the same song, though. (Guilty as charging myself…)
The interfaces for tracks are familiar, too. The effects are done in a typically iOS way, but make sense in a GarageBand way. There guitar amps (shown), effects pedals (shown), loops and recording tools are are all really nice simplifications for use on a smaller screen than your usual music DAW.
Like I say, familiar in evry way. Also, I’m told 4S has full USB classes, so I’ll be 
getting a camera adapter kit soon to try out my iMic, Singstars and GuitarLink. GarageBand for iPhone, worth every cent of its $5:49 price tag.
Many of my friends and colleagues in music over the years, even myself, have played in covers bands. The reasons vary but usually have some link to it being easier to attract and hold a crowd with songs the audience “know.”
But do the punters really know the songs they hear? In one band I formed with long time friend, Deadman Turner, punters sometimes asked about the, “Midnight Oil song we played.” The song was an original of mine, arranged by Deadman and me, and was one of many originals peppered through a setlist that was a mix of original and cover. We played across rural northern Tasmania for about 6 months and in towns we were told originals would never be accepted, the originals were what the punters talked to us about, and it was always favourable.
Then there’s the vice versa. I’ve had people suggest that, “You guys should do <insert song here! It's awesome and would fit you guys so well!" Guess what? We do, it was the last song in that set, we finished 2 minutes ago. No, we didn't do a strange arrangement, we've been told it sounds like the record. This everyguy loves the song, is always front and centre on the dance floor, and doesn't know his "favourite" song while we play it "like the record."
Basically, a musician is not a juke box. A musician is a passionate artist and music fan. Why waste your talent promoting the work of others who are already famous enough, to people who aren't there for you, but for somebody else they'd rather was playing. The punters who appreciate the music, who hear what YOU create and value the new and different, they are your fans. The knob who wants you to, "Do Enter Sandman!" or "Do Mustang Sally!" isn't after music, they're after a party and might as well go home and throw one. Do Mustang Sally? Not even with your dick, mate.
If you write songs, don't play covers. Stand proud of your work and fight for its right to party with you and the audience. Admire your favourite artists, by all means, but don't hide your light behind their's. Stand out front, loud and proud, and give voice to your muse. The audience you attract will be better than any cover hunter punter.
I don’t often give much cred to “label owned” bands but I was watching ABC 2 the other night and was stunned by The Coral’s performance of my all-time favourite Byrds song, “Feel a Whole Lot Better.” Here’s the version I saw…
Enjoy! I know I do! 
There’s a question, hey. Another question might be, do you remember your favourite song from 2 years ago? Not just any song you liked, but one which really classifies as your favourite song. Some will, most won’t. Now there’s a statement.
Listening to music, such as playing an instrument, buying records and going to shows, is sort of important. We all need fun and outlets, and music is one of the best outlets there is, especially if you play it, but is it any more important than, say, playing a sport?
If a piece of music is held aloft as a banner to a historical event, it may be important to history, but is that piece of music important in itself? The Battle Hymn of the Republic was a rallying cry during and beyond the American Civil War, but it could be argued to be a bit facile and pompous as a song in its own right. There are far more arguably inspiring songs which are barely remembered because they “incite” peace rather than glorify war.
Closer to the day-to-day, is a song more important than the singer or the songwriter? We remember Beethoven or Bach because of a body of inspiring work. Their works sound to many as marvelous pieces of art, yet many were commercial or religious commissions, hardly art, more like corporate propagandising, although not always. Is the piece something more than the mind from which it sprang?
And when we need to let our hair down, we party to our favourite tunes. We go to concerts and raves and place the songs on virtual pedestals. We like the artists because they wrote the songs but, remember this, the songs come from the artists, not the artist from the song.
Is a song important? One, even a few, may be important to you, individually, but is any song more important than the person who gave it voice? No, not really, so you should all stop deifying or vilifying musicians on the strength of them singing a particular song. The singer makes the song, you don’t have to like it, you don’t have to hate it, but respect the person who makes it, because they are human and have a unique voice, mind and passion – even if you don’t understand it.
Just can’t seem to get any ideas created, lately. Total writers block. Even this post is just to find something to blog about because I can’t think of anything to even blog about music at the moment. Except maybe that I’ve got my tax stuff off to the agent so, assuming my return is as good as last year, I’ll be getting my PA bins and amp soon. Guess there’s something good happening in my music, maybe 
At 7, I didn’t know who Leiber and Stoller were, but I knew one of their songs above anything else: “Poison Ivy.” I didn’t know the original, I knew Billy Thorpe’s loud, electric guitar cover version. I didn’t know what the lyrics were about back then (it’s a lude, musician’s joke about a “loose” woman – the sort of blokey talk you hear in rehearsal rooms even today) but I knew what that loud, overdriven valve amp sound meant.
It was masculine, it was bravado and it was inspirational. Billy recorded a version of the song that, even by today’s standards, is hard, hard rock. He created a sound from an American tune that became something quintessentially Australian. It was hard toured, hard played, loud and brash. In many ways, it was more rebellious than punk of a decade later, yet it was still melodic and could top off a great night out. It became known as Aussie Rock and the baton was passed to AC/DC, The Angels, Cold Chisel and many, many more.
Vale Jerry Leiber, a song you created built my dreams in a land far from yours. Thank you for the music.
…when unable to bend circumstance to will, bends will to circumstance. Having found that every unattached musician in Melbourne is a “guitarist/songwriter looking for a backing band”, I’ve decided that being a bassist on the right backing band is a better option than trying to be the great auteur in my own creative roller coaster. So I’ve hitched onto The Collectables’ bandwagon.
Great songs, a humble, hardworking front man who believes in his music (also in simply enjoying it by performing it regularly) and a clear plan for the business of performing the music, yesterday’s audition/first rehearsal was relaxed and the music is a good fit for me.
Alex, the guitarist is a quietly spoken, forthright guy with a gentle confidence tempered with refreshing realism. His songs are both bright and poppy, yet dark and reflective. There are 15 tunes to learn at this stage, the first 5 are already pretty much under my belt, I’m eagerly waiting for chords and charts for the rest. Once these are in the can, we can start writing others. The drummer joins us in a few weeks.
Can I say, too, the Pinto Room at Bakehouse (Richmond), is an excellent little room and no pervasive rumble from metal bands in adjoining rooms, like at Hydra. (Burwood) A 4 piece would be squashy in there, but a 3 piece will be right at home and the acoustic is great.
Watching the Police on DVD (Certifiable 2008) on DVD the other day, I was marvelling at Sting’s ability to sing and play complex bass parts at the same time, then he started kicking a pedal organ bass unit, too! Anyway, long story short, it reminded me that I’ve always wanted one of these, and with looking at maybe doing something solo (drum backing, bass pedals, vocals and guitar appeals to me), a pedal board might be useful, too.
Google, my usually reliable friend, can only find me gutted organs on eBay, expensive Hammond pedalboards and the Roland units. The Roland PK series is discontinued! Can’t get ‘em! I could build something that would do the job, but that’s going to be unreliable and expensive.
What’s a cove to do? What IS a cove to do?
Finally starting to get some order in my Musical CV. Most of what’s available online is up already, others will be added later. Enjoy.
How do you get the senseless loss of talent that is the death of Amy Winehouse off your chest? Well, I guess I wrote a song for catharsis.
It ain’t much, but…
