the World of Verbal Warning 28.04.08

I've just got over the shock of someone actually reading my blog so I'd better do another, after reading the basstalk forum, it's always a bad idea, I finish up spending money, I decided to try some Elixir Nano strings, they're supposed to last 5 or 6 times longer than normal ones, the bad news is the cheapest price is and eye watering £28 a set. Anyway I ordered some not realising the were coming from the USA, so I'm thinking VAT and Royal Mail handling fee going on here, they'll be the best part of £40, but fortunatly they wrote the cost was £15 on the export sticker so I got away with that one, and the strings? they sound pretty good so far, just got to see how long they last.Had a gig at the George Inn at Ripley which resulted in 3 encores and 3 very unhappy dogs, the canaine ears seem a bit sensitive to good old punk rock. The evening started off with only drummer boy being able to find the place in spite of the fact we'd all been there 2 or 3 times and halfway through the first set I was informed I'd forgot to put my sunglasses on, I wondered why I could see what I was doing, and don't even mention OCD, how the hell do we cock up a song we've done hundreds of times so badly we abandoned it and went on to Jet Plane, then it was the midsession break so everybody could calm down a bit.The second half was littered with mistakes as well but as I said earlier we got 3 encores and 2 more gigs, so there you go you never can tell.We are again having a go at recording tracks ourselves at the moment and early signs are good using home computers and free, what else? software. Got to add the vocals and do a mix them we''l be able to tell whether we can do the long awaited 2nd CD the same way.

13.04.08

3 weeks since my last blog, I'm suffering from writers block, or there's been bugger all to say. Had a couple of gigs since the last post, the Langley Mill gig was a bit of a wash out in more ways than one, the weather was awful, again, so not many there, we took about 10 cause it was guitar boys birthday and there were about 6 locals in, but the bar was so small another 6 and it would have been packed, still we did ok and the people that were there enjoyed it. So, on to the Malt Shovel, after the last time we were a bit worried because everybody left at the interval, but it was a decent turn out this time and it was still pretty full by the end. The real story of the night was this guy who walked in with a banjo, apparently he'd just been thrown off the bus for playing it and was definatly the worse for wear, now I thought we've got a bit of trouble here, thinking he'd ask us if we knew dueling banjos and could he join in, but no, half way through the second set, much to everyones astonishment, he proceeded to smash it to bits on the floor, Pete Townsend style, and we had to keep playing on while he was doing it, a great side show and it certainly kept everybody's interest, but I think he's probably regretting it now.Got new pick ups for my bass, ordered them from America because there're half the price and even with the robbing bastards from the Post Office adding on an £8 admin fee it still saved me £30, trouble was it required a bit of carpentry work to get them fitted, so now there's a bit of paint missing from around the pick up area. Still they are an improvement, but I would say that wouldn't I?

20.03.08

Guitar Boy turned up with yet another effects pedal at practice last night, he must have an effects pedal scrapyard in his back garden by now, I don't know what the word is for e bay addiction is but I think he's got it, how about e bayoholic, any other suggestions? if he ever gets round to putting them all in an effects pedal box it'll be so big we'll be able to turn it over and use it as a table tennis table. We were on at the Belle Vue at Mapperley on saturday, lousy night weather wise and a poor turnout, we got a decent sound though using a monitor for the first time with our PA, now we've decided we need another one, yet more gear to cart around, we'll need a roadie at this rate, any offers? must have his own transit and expect no money whatsoever. but talking of money the landlord paid us, which, seeing as how we didn't really have a confirmed amount was good of him. We won't be going back anyway cause he's leaving in a fortnight,looks like another live venue has been strangled by red tape.The gig front is looking quiet healthy now, until September, we've got about 2 a month which we think is about right, gives us time to work on material for our new CD, which won't ready till about 2012 unless we pull our fingers out.

01.03.08

Been a while since my last blog mainly cause not much has been happening, had an embarrissing gig at Stone in staffs, we thought it was a bit iffy from the start, a Monday night, with a 10 o Clock start, and a originals set, sounded like a disaster waiting to happen to us, and so it proved, about a dozen in when we started and about 3 when we finshed, we took the money and left feeling a little guilty, singer boy thought the landlady was about to burst into tears as she handed over the cash. Another disaster waiting to happen at the Chequers in Hucknall turned out OK, there was talk of pulling out after our Stone fiasco but hey, any gig is better than practice, there was about 30 in there and most stopped to the end, and we got paid. We have decided we need a monitor to hear singer boy, I know I know some would say he hardly needs a PA never mind a monitor, but he did have a bad throat, again, and there's still talk of a mic or 2 on the drum kit, well there is from drummer boy anyway. In a futile attempt to get anywhere close to guitar boy in the effects pedal race I bought Behringer amp modeler because some pillock on a bass forum said it made him sound like J J Burnell, which was bollocks, not a lot different from the one I use already, so it's heading towards ebay very shortly. Talking of guitar boys effect pedals, he's now put them in a special box to keep them neat and tidy, trouble is it's so bloody big when we play a gig on a small stage me and singer boy will probably be standing in the crowd, if there is one.

05.02.08

the 2 gigs we've had since the last post went ok, the Lurkers gig was a good one with 4 good bands on and enough people there to keep the monthly punk night going. We weren't at our best at Stilwell Tavern the next night although we were nice and loud, drummer boy now wants his snare micing up and guitar boy says the bass was to loud, seemed ok to me though made a right pigs ear of another girl another planet, I think we were all playing out of time, anyway everybody said it was a right balls up, and right at the end the PA packed up, well not just the PA, everything, perhaps on reflection plugging about 7 things into 1 extention lead with an overload cut out on it it wasn't the wisest thing we've ever done. After an early break and a redistribution of plugs we were up and running for the second half. We got 2 encores and Mick Moonshine seemed happy enough so it looks like we got away with it. If anybody other than the band has been following this blog since the start I've finally got my jobseekers allowance from last April, a nice liitle christmas bonus, I fought the system and I won, a new forum has appeared about Warnings infamous 1983 gig at the Union Rowing club check it out http://www.killyourpetpuppy.co.uk/news/?p=528#comment-1063

24.01.08

Just 2 practices and 1 gig since the last blog, oh and band illnesses, I managed to catch flu from somewhere and spent the journey home from practice sneezing all over guitar boy, but he's a lucky bugger he only got a bit of a cold. I may have stumbled on the bad practice equals good gig equation, after a bad practice before the Greyhound gig I spent a couple of hours practicing on Saturday, which I probably wouldn't have done if we'd had a good practice and the Greyhound gig was a stormer, we all had a thoroughly good time and kept the pub fullish till midnight which seemed to please the landlord, we're back again in June and November. Somebody did say to us "don't you ever do Daydream Believer again" and seeing as how we've never done it without making mistakes we probably won't, but you never know .Got a couple of gigs this weekend before a a bit of a break on on the live action front, supporting the Lurkers on Friday at Mansfield, which will be a quick 30 minute blast of Verbal Warning songs and Stilwell Tavern on Saturday which is another chance to impress Mr Moonshine, lets hope it goes well at least he should be able to hear us this time with our new PA, and we're taking some lights cause last time he took great delight in turning all the house lights off so we couldn't see what we were playing, I know we're an ugly bunch but the crowd expect to see something other than a black hole in the corner where the band might be

10.01.08

only one gig since Christmas at the Derby beer festival, but what a stormer, having 300 people screaming for more certainly does wonders for your ego. I was filled with apprehension before the gig due to the fact I'd been forced to have 3 pints, I say forced because I'd planned to have the regulation 2 then Lee and Di bought me another one cause it was my birthday, decisions, do I not drink it for the sake of my performance and turn down a free pint? not a chance, anybody who knows me will know I do not turn down free pints. Anyway, got away with it, only one major cock up in My Way which is an above average mistakes per gig ratio. No practice last night due to asbestos work at drummer boys lock up where he works and we practice, and he's worried about his clorestoral count! and singer boy having a wisdom tooth out, I would have thought losing any sort of wisdom was a bad move for him. I suggested the pub but he didn't want to go cause he's not supposed to drink for 24 hours and he could hardly talk. Both excuses turned out to be a load of bollocks, anyone who knows him will know not talking and singer boy should not be used in the same sentence and he was last out the pub still finishing off his 4th pint. One of these days he really will be ill and no one will believe him