Narrow Street

So it’s the day after the Narrow Street Fete and I’m left with this warm glow. It could be sunburn, but it’s not. It was a beautiful day and it started in the best possible way. The Fete was opened by the stunningly lovely Cleo Roccos she was very nice to me) then our fab friend and bass player Bob Kelly’s band Kellys Heels opened up the musical proceedings. For those of you not in the know, Jim and I are the rhythm section for Bob’s brand of million mile an hour power pop. And despite some blundering bass from me, the Heels were much appreciated.

Promoter Paul did the right thing and whisked us off to The Grapes for a pint (I went for the Timothy Taylors, YUM) then we had half an hour before Bruise went on. I had brought my old Ampeg amp but Tim the sound engineer had set up a glorious old valve amp which I just HAD to plug into. After a bit of pedal shuffling … there’s got to be at least one tec head out there interested in this … my pedals generally go Tuner – Delay – Boost – Distortion – Wah – Tremolo – and a second boost set to compensate for the baritone being a bit quieter than the strat. After swapping the boost and distortion round for a cleaner sound we were ready to go.

Onstage it was an utterly beautiful sight to see, loads of sunny faced locals enjoying the canal side scenery and shaking a hoof to our set. There were so many individuals who beamed their approval at us while we were playing, but a few stick out in my mind. There was a little group of very young boys sat cross legged on the ground enjoying some serious rock gurning when we were rocking out, that makes me, a comparatively old girl, very happy. Then the Pearly Queen who seemed to dance through the whole last half of the set, she was brilliant. And finally the stilt walking women, 10 feet tall, dressed in luminous colours and really cutting loose to the last part of the set. It was such joyous thing to be a part of. During our last song “I Don’t Like You” we were surrounded on all sides by these gorgeous giants wigging out, they added a surreal glamour, the perfect end to a fantastic gig.

Thanks to those who bought albums and thanks to the organizers.

Keyed Up

I could have sworn I had a gig last night, I spent most of the week mentally preparing, hassling Jim for acoustic rehearsal time and generally getting keyed up. It was Thursday when Jim put me straight, the gig I was anticipating is next Friday.

This left me with a dilemma, because I had promised myself I would write something and post it after last nights gig… that never happened… I felt foolish enough having not played but to not blog as well seemed wrong wrong WRONG.

So here goes yesterday…

We’ve got an electric gig coming up on Monday, some Bank holiday shin dig in Wapping, we haven’t played an electric gig since Glastonbury and that feels like months ago now. So we booked some local rehearsal space and made some real noise. I love these afternoon rehearsals, you can really focus on details and iron out the uncertainties, then when you take it on stage it flows so naturally. Playing the guitar becomes as thoughtless and instinctive as dancing. We only had a couple of hours but we worked hard and I left the rehearsal room feeling exhilarated by the physical and mental work out. I also left the rehearsal rooms with with my head in the clouds, we loaded the car with everything, amp, pedals, kit, cymbals but forgot my guitars….ouch, the panic was painful. Fortunately they were just where I’d left them , behind the door of the room we rented.

I love my guitars, don’t get me wrong here I don’t have a 3000 pound Gretch from the 60’s I have a cheap cheap single pick up Squire Strat. It makes a straight forward sound, dirty when I distort and clean when I want it, it just responds to what you give it, we have an understanding, I am not a subtle player and it is not a subtle instrument. The other guitar I use is a bit rarer, but no less cheap, the Danelectro Barritone, fundamentally made of paper, but being longer scale than the average guitar it handles down tuning with grace and aplomb. Lovely low tremulous voice. The initial reason I became attached to this motley couple was simply the weight of them, they are as light as a feather. When I’m on stage I’m singing 95% of the time, I’m playing ALL the time, and if you haven’t noticed I’ve got 7 pedals in line so my feet are working pretty hard too. I’m not complaining about this, it is an amazing feeling, but do have a problem doing all those things whilst carrying a guitar that weighs more than a small child.

We are playing on Monday, I know it for a fact, unless it’s absolutely tipping it down… hmmmm X

Rocking in London

Our new cd, BRUISE nobody else

“This album was written and recorded in Currie House, home to Bruise for seven years. The building and what happened to it has influenced us greatly. Watching this home turn from a haven to a nightmare has broken my heart, then mended it again, then…you get the picture.” Isobel - April 2007

It’s a fifties classic. Shabby glory on the Eastern edge of Tower Hamlets. As residents left or were moved out the flats were claimed by organized crime, by squatters and finally by looters. Surrounded by neglect, robbery and drug abuse in a malevolent atmosphere of crushing failure and threat this collection of songs took shape and Bruise recorded a remarkable album. A derelict building is a moody place. Hollow and hopeless. Jagged, glittering and defiant. Doors slam in vacant flats. Rainbows form in the spray of ruptured pipes in sun-filled stairwells. The songs absorbed those moods, light and dark, and now these recordings reflect them.
Come see us at the Spice of Life on Friday 19th October 2007