With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

‘Total Cover Band Domination’ – Andy Watson November 7, 2024

Filed under: Book,Review — justwilliam1959 @ 7:46 pm
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OK, I am not in a cover band, or any other kind of band. Hell, I don’t even play a musical instrument. But for many years I have been writing about music, and as a result I have met plenty of musicians, bands and solo artists including some that do or have performed in cover and tribute bands.

Andy Watson, author of a new book, ‘Total Cover Band Domination’ has been fronting a covers band for years so I reckon he knows his stuff. He has used his experience in putting together this great manual to help improve the chances of success for your covers or tribute band. Some of the advice might seem obvious; being polite and courteous for example. But in my own experience I find it surprising that there are still a number of people in the music industry that never seem to operate in a polite way.

Andy writes in a conversational and easy to read style and like some of the best text and management books ‘Total Cover Band Domination’ utilises white space really well. The book covers everything that you need to know as a covers or tribute band. From dealing with hecklers to insurance, via rehearsals and getting paid and so much more. I believe that there are plenty of lessons for bands in general here, not only covers and tribute bands. As a mobile DJ for more than thirty years (now retired) some of this advice resonated with me too. Particularly agreeing and confirming a fee and ensuring that you get paid on time.

Depending on where you are on your covers band journey you might not need to read this book from cover to cover. But Andy has designed it so that you can cherry pick the bits that matter to you. He has also included parts that relate to covers bands in Australia, Canada and the USA. I read this book while on holiday in Lanzarote and interestingly the hotel had a few musicians performing through the week, including an Abba covers duo called Abba Inferno. This was two talented singers (Grace and Georgia) singing to some well put together backing tracks, their dancing was spot on too. Anyway, maybe Abba Inferno could invest in Andy’s fine book, it might help them get to some bigger venues in the Canary Islands.

Bill Drummond and Jim Cauty (who many will know as the KLF, the JAMMs and the Timelords) once produced the now legendary book ‘The Manual (How to Have a Number One the Easy Way)’ back in 1988 It was a step-by-step guide to achieving a No. 1 single with no money or musical skills, and something the duo followed themselves to have huge success with the Timelords single “Doctorin’ the Tardis”. (A number 1 in the UK and New Zealand. If Cauty and Drummond pulled that off then I reckon Andy’s book will allow covers bands to achieve much higher levels of success. If you are in a covers or tribute band investing just a few quid (£19.95) in this book will be very much worthwhile.

Find out more about the book at ultimatesurvivalguides.com and to make it even easier for you click here to buy it directly from the site.

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‘Time Machine’ – Cats In Space November 6, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 10:05 pm
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The sound on this fabulous new musical platter from Cats In Space makes you believe that ’70s and ’80s rock never ended. This record feels like the great album that Jim Steinman never produced. The title track joyfully reminisces the best of the Alan Parsons Project. Meanwhile “My Father’s Eyes” could be a song that Bon Jovi thought was simply too good to release in 1986 and then issued “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’ On A Prayer’ instead. There have been some great power ballads, but has anyone ever created the perfect one? Cats In Space has done it now with the colossal masterpiece called “Crashing Down”. The ghost of the Alan Parsons Project rises again within “Occam’s Razor (Not The End Of The World)”. However, this time the band adds a heavy funk-rock element to some very tasty prog tropes. Steevi Bacon’s drumming is superb, and the brass sound gives the track a towering orchestral jazz feel. Damien Edward’s voice on the fragile, glorious, and simply gorgeous ballad “Forever & Ever” caps a perfect love song. This tune is made for lighters to be lit and swayed in the air in time with the music. (OK health and safety have just told me you can use mobile phone torches but not lighters, but you know what I mean, right?). “Ivory Anthem” sounds like something that Meatloaf might have covered really well and the production is a little reminiscent of Elton John’s “Funeral For A Friend”. If you don’t tap your feet and shake your head to “Run For Your Life” you need to check your pulse and get your family to book your funeral because if you don’t move your body to this great track, then clearly you have popped your clogs!

The aural experience of Peter Gabriel drawing on the sounds of the Orient is what I hear in “This Velvet Rush” but with a fully authentic gold medal (medallion?) hair metal vocal performance. Bad Company appears to occupy “Yesterdays Sensation” with a Brian May influence on guitar. But overall the sound has a pulchritudinous power-pop tone a little like Aussie rockers Sherbert. “Immortal” might seem full of lyrical cliches, but no one uses a lyrical cliche better than Cats In Space. If Paul Williams had needed extra songs for his 1974 classic “Phantom Of The Paradise, ” “When Love Collides” would be first in line. This is followed by three classy ’70s covers. These kick off with the Walker Brothers ’70s comeback single “No Regrets” (a UK top 10 hit in 1975). It is a faithful recreation with lots of soul and passionate gospel-style backing vocals. The depth of feeling and power in the Cats In Space cover of John Miles’ “Music” (A UK number 3 hit from 1976) is palpable. The band takes this song to previously uncharted heights. For me, some of Slade’s best songs were never huge hits, especially “How Does It Feel” (it reached a lowly number 15 in the UK after a run of twelve top 4 hits which included six number ones). Damien Edwards is not Noddy Holder but he draws the essence of Neville John Holder into his performance on the track. The band has transformed the slightly deep Slade cut into a six-minute epic! The album closes with a weird, wonky, and wonderful Ghost Mix of “This Velvet Rush” which changes a lot but retains the perfect vocals!

Having reread what I have just written I wonder if you might think that Cats In Space are just an exceptionally good 70s/ 80s tribute act. They are not, what they are is a great band who keep the flame of classic rock alive with some spectacularly good songs alongside some magnificent performances! You can click here to buy the album direct from the band’s website.

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“Little Shrew/ Snowflake” – Kate Bush October 25, 2024

Filed under: News,Observation — justwilliam1959 @ 7:15 pm
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Kate Bush has made a slight return today with a vital and poignant message on behalf of War Child. She has helped create a wonderful, thoughtful, and heartbreaking animation about a little shrew who searches for Hope as she makes her way across a bombed-out city. She has provided her song “Snowflake”, the opening track from her 2011 album ’50 Words For Snow’. While Kate put together storyboard sketches for the film the final animation was produced by Inkubus. Kate was interviewed by Emma Barnett about the film on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 earlier today. Click here to listen to the whole interview. She spoke at length about the film, life, and music. As for the latter Kate teased that she may be working on new music, for me and many of her fans that is incredibly exciting.

But in the meantime, please contribute whatever you can to help support War Child. If you don’t know who War Child are here is a brief summary of their aims and activities; “We protect, educate and stand up for the rights of children living through conflict. We go to the hardest-to-reach places to support those who are hardest hit. We aim to be there for children who need us most when they need us most. When conflict breaks out, we aim to reach children as early as possible and stay on to support them long after the cameras have gone home. We help keep children safe and help them to heal and learn. We understand children’s needs, respect and stand up for their rights, and put them at the centre of everything we do – because just one child caught up in conflict is one child too many.” Take a look at the truly gorgeous, stunning animation which is bleak and yet still filled with hope. Kate posted about the film on her website, click here to read it.

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“Hollywood Forever” – Hollywood Undead October 24, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:24 pm
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t is sixteen years since Hollywood Undead released their first album and I am ashamed to say they have passed me by until now. But their new single “Hollywood Forever” has brought me on board with a huge bang. Arguably the genre that Johnny 3 Tears, Funny Man, Charlie Scene, Danny, and J-Dog fit into is rap rock. But they are so much more than that. This track has rap rock elements but adds to that grunge, emo, nu-metal, and pop-punk. This song’s passion, emotion, and soul hit beyond peak levels. It rocks like a bastard full of soulful angst. I think it is about the support and healing power that Hollywood Undead has for and from their fans and for themselves. Lyrics like “So what about the kid that got off the ledge,
and all the people saved by Hollywood Undead, if I could save just one kid, I’ll keep this mask on as long as I live” prove this point in my opinion. This is a powerhouse of a single and deserves to be a huge hit. Make it so good people of the blogosphere!

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On This Day The Godfather Funked Up The Apollo In Harlem!

Filed under: On This Day — justwilliam1959 @ 8:35 pm
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On 24th October 1962, James Brown recorded his legendary ‘Live At The Apollo’ album at the hallowed Harlem venue. The Godfather of Soul’s first live release was a huge success – peaking at No.2 on the Billboard 200 after its release in May 1963 and spending 66 weeks on the chart. The album was eventually billed as by James Brown and the Famous Flames when issued on CD. In 1998, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and six years later it was selected by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. In 2015 the album was rated the best live album ever by Rolling Stone magazine.

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Rolling Back The Years With Mayhem – 1963 October 23, 2024

Filed under: Rolling Back The Years — justwilliam1959 @ 9:39 pm
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This is the fifth in what I hope will be a very long-running series, just like my long-running life, so far at least! I have decided to look at the most popular songs from every year that I have existed. There will be some artistic licence on my part as I will always seek to include at least a few of my favourites from each year. The format will be a top ten for each year and will cover the music and songs I grew up with, came of age with, and achieved my greatest success alongside music that comforted me in bad times. This fifth top ten goes back to the year that I turned 4 years old, 1963. I don’t remember actually hearing these songs back then, but I have listened to them many times over the years. I have once again focused on the UK charts. the Beatles make their first appearance in the series, debuting at the top of the pile with “Please Please Me”. As a special time travel gift I have added a bonus track, the best-selling US single of 1963, “Sugar Shack” by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs. This is definitely my favourite Rolling Back The Years Top 10 so far. Please get on board the Time Machine now, it will be a rough journey so bring a sick bag or two! Check out the playlist below if you are too chicken to enter the Time Machine. The chart for 1964 will follow soon. The chart listing is below!

1 Please Please Me – The Beatles
2 Foot Tapper – The Shadows
3 Do You Want To Know A Secret? – Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas
4 Take These Chains From My Heart – Ray Charles
5 Then He Kissed Me – The Crystals
6 Can’t Get Used To Losing You – Andy Williams
7 Da Doo Ron Ron – The Crystals
8 Memphis Tennessee – Chuck Berry
9 I Only Want To Be With You – Dusty Springfield
10 Sweets For My Sweet – The Searchers

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“Nobody Else Knows” – Flyght Club October 22, 2024

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:49 pm
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Flyght Club is the musical project of Los Angeles-based Shauvik Sharan and the new single “Nobody Else Knows” is a marvellous showcase of Shauvik’s musical talent. It opens with some disco-style percussion that suggests a four-to-the-floor banger. But then it evolves quickly into some hook-filled bluesy synth-pop of which George Michael would have been proud. Then just when you think the song has given you all it is going to give the searing guitar solo kicks in after 3 and a bit minutes and takes the track to yet another level. It took a few plays, but now I can’t get this tune out of my head. Take a flight with Flyght Club, you will not be disappointed it is one hell of a smooth ride!

Originally from Pune, India, Shauvik moved to Los Angeles nine years ago. He grew up on classic rock artists such as Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and Pink Floyd. I think that shows in his music. Shauvik said this of the song “The goal with this song was to make honest music, going back to my roots with giving importance to the electric guitar, both in terms of production and songwriting, while still making something groovy and fun that people can dance and sing along to“. Well, it is definitely groovy and danceable and I sang along to it too. “Nobody Else Knows” tells the story of a girl, who on the surface appeared to be sweet and innocent, but behind closed doors was the complete opposite. Shauvik shared this about the song, “There was a side to her that only I knew and it was so unexpected but fun to experience this.” 

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Under The Covers With Mayhem – Chapter 11

Filed under: Under The Covers With Mayhem — justwilliam1959 @ 3:53 pm
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Here comes Under The Covers With Mayhem Chapter 11, featuring Japanese band Salon Music and their cover of the Buzzcocks classic from 1978, “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)” is what some might describe as salon music. But don’t let that put you off, it is a chilled, strange, wondrous, and contradistinctive version of the song. Salon Music are a new wave duo consisting of Hitomi Takenaka and Zin Yoshida. They were active from 1983 to 2011 and they released twelve studio albums during that time. This cover can be found on their ‘Tiger Moth’ EP from 1996.

Constant readers know that my ideal cover version has a different slant from the original rather than just a facsimile-style cover. So the generic boy bands are probably never likely to feature, but you never know, right? Feel free to recommend any songs that you think should be included in Under The Covers With Mayhem. I want to stay clear of the mainstream ideally, but off-the-wall covers by major artists might work too 🙂 Finally and at last there is a playlist that collects all the Under The Covers With Mayhem tracks together. Currently thirteen songs and 53 minutes of music. Check it out below.

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“Electric Eel” – KOYO

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 6:10 am
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KOYO‘s new single “Electric Eel” opens with some choppy, funky, dirty, grungey guitar riffs and builds up to some prog-like sounds in the guitar solos. The infectious funk groove from the drum and bass throughout the song drives it perfectly and ensures the listener will never lose interest. The vocals are harmonious and reminiscent of some of the finest 70s classic rock sounds. Electric eels have poor vision, but this song is definitely made from 20/20 vision! “Electric Eel” is one awesome tune! KOYO are alumni of Leeds Conservatoire and a big part of the Leeds music scene.

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Play It Again Mayhem – “Since I Left You” – The Avalanches October 21, 2024

Filed under: Play It Again Mayhem — justwilliam1959 @ 10:34 pm
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Here comes the 31st track in the Play It Again Mayhem series and this time it is the turn of the Avalanches with “Since I Left You”. The Avalanches are an Australian electronic, sampling, and DJ outfit. This divine track comes from their debut album of the same title released in 2000. The album made the top ten in the UK, Ireland and Australia. The single didn’t fare as well, with its top performance being number two in the UK Indie chart in 2001. The song samples many artists including Rose Royce, Lamont Dozier, and Klaus Wunderlich to name just a few. The latter was from “Let’s Do The Latin Hustle”. “Since I Left You” remains one of my favourite tracks of all time. What do you think of this song and the playlist?

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