Adrian Wood

Listen to the Blues

2011-01-23T01:29:00.007Z

Veteran blues vocalist and harpist Mick Ridgway has fronted his own blues band, Mojo Hand, since the turn of the century. Since then the group has built a fearsome reputation as a live act as well as a catalogue of top quality CDs, many of which are on their second and third reprints. I joined the band as drummer and backing vocalist in 2006. With a background in rock, swing and gospel music, I've found a perfect home playing the Blues.

Adi Wood

Metro Drummer

2011-01-14T13:02:00.001Z

As a drummer of thirty odd years, I know my one weakness.

My sense of tempo sucks.

Actually, its not too bad but can easily be pulled of course by the rest of the band.

Therefore it sucks. I should be able to hold veryone in check or, at least be able to move with the rogue player and slowly pull him back into line.

The solution is to practice rhythms and rudiments with a metronome. I've a Korg which is very nice and my Vic Firth practice pad to let loose on. Its been many years since I've practiced regularly so that itself will be a challenge. Anyway, its time I sorted this out.

Swing

2011-01-10T17:16:00.001Z

As a drummer, I strive to find the best feel to accompany songs. Mojo Hand gigs two or three times a week, so its easy for me to try out a feel and, if it doesn't really work, I can go back to the drawing board and think again. Such is my working relationship with guitarist Al Sansome, that if he prefers another feel to the one I've picked, its not problem for me to change to what he wants instead.

With this in mind I've been giving some thought to the swing numbers I play with Mojo Hand. These days I find myself gravitating towards three distinct approaches:

I can play the feel using brushes on the snare drum only, which sounds fantastic at low volume.

Country numbers are best played with a two beat feel, with the swing rhythm replacing the quater-note on the hi-hat.

For full on swing numbers, I really like the classic swing back shuffle. The swing rhythm is driven along by backbeats on the 'a' note of the triplet, rather than the two and four.

Edged Sound

2011-01-10T11:59:00.001Z

Whether played with sticks or with the foot, Paiste sound edge hi-hats are much more articulate than regular cymbals. They had a huge impact on my playing this weekend, giving me a bigger hi-hat sound, both open and closed, and more cutting foot-played notes. These foot-played notes really helped bring out the backbeat when playing with brushes, which I did a lot of at the Stamford Arms, Groby on Sunday. The landlady had asked us to keep the first set low key, so we chose to play all the swing numbers in our set which of course benefitted from the use of brushes.

Sound Success

2011-01-08T17:44:00.000Z

Proper Paiste sound edge bottom cymcals are superior to the Meinl I tried in the past. It made an impression at last night's gig. I'm looking forward to using them again in a few hours time.

Day of Drums

2011-01-07T17:13:00.001Z

Seems to have been a day of looking at drum equipment in one way or another.

Firstly, I've renewed my insurance with Music Guard - removing some instruments from my schedule and adding others, as well as modifying my cover.

Secondly I've been investigating the best lightweight hardware currently available and, although flat or flush based hardware is popular, Yamaha's 650 series seems to be the top buy, with strong, efficient single-braced stands.

Al Sansome was asking after a teacher who teaches Rockschool Grade and I've been able to point him in the right direction... I should investigate Rockschool again.

Finally, the sound edge bottom cymbal arrived just before my appraisal at work and remarkably I was able to stay focussed on work for a few hours until I was free to fondle it a bit more! I'm looking forward to using it for the first time at my favourite gig - The Hind, Leicester.

Just arrived...

2011-01-07T14:58:00.000Z

... the Paiste 2002 sound edge has landed.

How to Create a Groove

2011-01-06T06:47:00.000Z

One of my students, Richard, asked me what play to back up a calypso carol. I replied that there are all sorts of rythms that can be used, and that listening to the music would inform the feel. The trick was to settle on a pattern and play it consistently with authority. That way would create a strong foundation, or groove. As long at the subdivision didn't clash with or disrupt the flow of the song any beat, from rock to authentic calypso, would do the job. Its more about having confidence.

Sound Edge 2

2011-01-04T09:18:00.001Z

Just bought a 14" Paiste 2002 Sound Edge bottom hi-hat cymbal off Ebay. For under a third of the price of a complete set of cymbals. I'm soooo happy.

Sad isn't it?

How things change

2011-01-03T08:36:00.000Z

Carol and Al Sansome's parties are legendary. After excellent cuizine there's always excellent music to be quaffed. Last night it was The Last Waltz, the legendary final concert by The Band. I've never appreciated this gem until now. My musical tastes have matured sufficiently to revel in both the top notch guest stars (Clapton's Further On Up The Road stands out for me) and The Bands eclectic musicianship - I learnt a lot about singing and drumming from Levon Helm.

A Higher Priority

2011-01-01T11:42:00.001Z

... than sound edge hi-hats (sigh) is the insurance on my drums. Its due for renewal and updation this month - Happy New Year, BTW - which will increase slightly with the more expensive and expansive Ludwig kit I now use with Mojo.

Finally...

2010-12-31T17:45:00.000Z

... discovered the song and band behind the current Comet tv advert music - Soy Campesino by Ska Cubano.

Sound Edge

2010-12-30T21:45:00.001Z

Once I'd got it positioned comfortably on the bass drum, the LP lil' ridge rider cowbell worked reasonably well used to play the rhumba ride pattern. It will sound great eventually, once I've worked on the beat a bit.

I'm very happy with my kit, although I'm considering using a sound edge bottom hi-hat cymbal for extra volume - it has a crinkled edge that gives a louder chip sound when clicked together. I've seen just the bottom cymbal on Ebay from time to time. I'd rather not spend three hundred on a complete set of cymbals. I've tried sound edges before - useless in church but I imagine great for blues.

Best Introduction to a Book...

2010-12-30T08:54:00.001Z

... I've ever read.

Whilst enjoying a coffee with Maria in the Loros book shop - I think it was the Loros shop, there's two charity bookshops opposite each other on Queens Road and I can't remember which belongs to which, anyway the one with the coffee shop - when I spotted Who on Earth is Tom Baker, the autobiography of my favourite Doctor (Who). I'd read the unsubstantial Matt Smith biography - more interesting to see how a writer had padded out a ten page life story to a full-length book by filling it with reviews from blogs I'd never heard of - and was the mood for something with smaller type and leading to get my teeth into. Spot the typesetter.

The Introduction - an overview.

1997. Baker endures a near disastrous plane journey to New Zealand to shoot an advert for pensions in a substantially let out Doctor Who costume. He is waited on by Anthony Hopkins in an expensive resteraunt and has his bill paid for by a mysterious benefactor, who turns out to be Piers Baker, his son who he'd not seen, presumably, since birth.

In a few pages you know Baker's relationship to acting, actors, Doctor Who, women and offspring.

Worth buying for the introduction alone!

Foundation

2010-12-28T19:16:00.000Z

These days I think more and more about the lessons I had with drummer Bob Nutt, before I got my first kit and before I joined my first band. These lessons were so important - no fills, just shuffle, rock, sixteen-note, disco, swing and finally reggae. All in six months. After that, I got a kit and joined a band.

And all thanks to my Mum, who insisted in the lessons before buying me a kit. And who would give me a lift to oractices and gigs.

Last Gig before Crig II

2010-12-24T11:47:00.001Z

Would help if I mentioned last night's gig, wouldn't it? It was great! Even if the crowd were a little underwelmed by the end of the night. I was very tired, looking forward to next week off work.

Last Gig before Crig

2010-12-24T11:44:00.001Z

Just a Christmas Eve line or two before I head to Loughborough from work to pick up a new vacuum cleaner, of all things. If it had a Ludwig logo on it I'd be a bit more interested!

I've just been watching footage from the Guitar Heroes night at the Musician. Very enlightening.

Fast licks on the drums don't work, they just disappear. Big, spacey eighth-note fills sound tremendous. Contrary to my personal belief double shuffles do cut through the mix, sound great and are worth the effort. I should experiment with quarter-notes on the bell of the ride.

I should smile a bit more.

Or any kind of expression, really.

Festive Tapas tonight, yum!

Final Week at Work

2010-12-20T16:43:00.001Z

With only one gig left before Christmas - Thursday's Crown at Uppingham - I'm looking forward to a week's holiday, my first for some time. I need to track down my LP cowbell in my drum room and a selection of holders to fit my bass drum. Then I can add a different colour to the rumba ride pattern.

Competition Results

2010-12-19T20:10:00.001Z

OK, so I didn't bother keeping a running total of the tracks I played Country style last night. It was rock n roll all the way at the Thornton Club, so I could play the majority of the tracks using this simplified swing beat. I'm getting more comfortable playing the bass drum only on the one and three. I used to feel off balance without the four on the flour bass drum underneath the swing beat.

Competition

2010-12-18T18:41:00.000Z

How many songs can I play using the 'Country Beat' tonight?

Pointless...

2010-12-18T12:28:00.000Z

... even trying to sing at the moment. Drinking hot lemon and honey helps a little. No singing tonight at Thornton.

Sunny Lunchtime

2010-12-17T16:51:00.001Z

With a cloudless sunny sky this lunchtime I decided to take a walk along the canal bank.

This gave me a welcome chance to think about the last year how much Mojo Hand has achieved.

As well as a double retrospective CD soon to be on its third reprinting - Mojo Hand the First Ten Years - we recorded Listen to the Blues, an acoustic set at The Musician. Next year we should have a new CD recorded at the Swan and Rushes. November's Blues Guitar Hero gig proved very popular and a second gig is planned for nearly next year.

I've enjoyed using my Ludwig drums and Paiste cymbals which I'm refining at every gig - tuning, set up and playing style. Next year I'll keep a watchful eye on my bags and hardware - if anything could do with being upgraded in the next few years, its those. Gibraltar hardware and Protection Racket bags are top of my list. I'm considering using the LP lil' ridge rider cowbell for rhumba/latin numbers, but don't want to add anything else to this versatile four drum/three cymbal set-up.

A better quality straight microphone stand would be good too. Solid round base?

Penultimate gigs before Christmas

2010-12-17T14:41:00.001Z

The Pub, Leicester city centre and Thornton Club, Thornton, nr Coalville.

Need to remember to clear out the old worn-out sticks from my stick bag. All I should have are two pairs Vic Firth 5Bs, Vic Firth Live Wires brushes and Vic Firth Rute 505s.

Country Beat

2010-12-13T16:42:00.001Z

I love playing The Train - the classic rolling drum beat played on the snare drum over walking bass and hi-hat. The only problem is I find the tempo really hard to control. So I've taken a leaf out of WS Holland's book (Johnny Cash's drummer) and started using what I call the Country Beat instead. This is a fast swing rhythm with the bass drum played two beat style instead of four on the floor. Tempo is now rock solid and it helps the songs I use it on - I Got a Woman, Big Boss Man, Call Me the Breeze, Mama Don't Allow - to swing a little too.

Coated Heads Rule

2010-12-12T16:12:00.000Z

I Predict a Riot

2010-12-12T08:30:00.000Z

After a quiet night at the Bradgate on Friday, last night at the Hind was a riot! People wanted a party that's for sure. I'd fixed the action my bass drum pedal so well I was able to play a roll on the drum. After a croaky week my voice was still shot so I picked my moments with care. Charlie carried the rest of the backing vocals on his own.

Dotted Eight and Sixteen Note

2010-12-10T15:22:00.001Z

Inspiration struck this morning whilst I was waiting to take Maria to work. Leafing through my Moleskine Mansucript Notebook I managed to find some space to write some more simple fill-ins - the odd spare half page here and there. This time the fills were based on the dotted eight and sixteen note figure, teamed with two eight-notes - a simplified version of the classic Motown fill.

I'm getting to the point where I've only the odd line or two here and there to jot my ideas down on!

Toning Up

2010-12-09T11:44:00.001Z

My drums have been sounding a little flabby the last few gigs. So I tuned up my twelve inch tom and my snare approximately a half turn all round - they sounded loads better at last night's Acoustic Club.

Last Acoustic Club of 2010

2010-12-08T17:19:00.001Z

Tonight is the last Al's Acoustic Club for this year. I need to remember to take my drum key so I can re-tune my drums. At the last gig with Mojo Hand I realised just how out of tune with each other the heads were - the top heads sounded much deeper than the bottom ones. And I didn't have a drum key to alter them.

Manuscript Notebook

2010-12-07T16:51:00.001Z

I've filled my Moleskine Manuscript notebook - its taken a little over a year but I've finally run out of space. This book has been one of the best investments I've made, allowing me to explore the rhythms I play in depth. I love writing out a drum beat, then dissecting it to see what's at the heart of the groove. This helps me to come up with all sorts of variations and ideas.

I'll be getting a new one in the New Year.

A Correction on My Previous Post

2010-12-05T12:29:00.000Z

Of Silvest McCoy's tenure as the Doctor, The Greatest Show on Earth is the only stroy marked ten out of ten, Survival is a nine. Colin Baker's Doctor has no tens (not counting the regeneration in Caves of Androzani). The majority of tens go to Pertwee (6) amd Tom Baker (10 not counting the regeneration on Planet of the Spiders), with Hartnell and Troughton getting two each, and Davidson three, not counting the regeneration in Logopolis.

10/10

2010-12-05T11:37:00.000Z

Doctor Who the Episode Guide scores each episode 1/10 to 10/10. Some of the scores I disagree with but all the 10/10s are worth collecting. A number I already have on DVD and Audio. For example, Fury from the Deep, Inferno, The Brain of Morbius. Some I haven't bought yet - The Unearthly Child, The Robots of Death and Survival. A few I already love and await with eager anticipation - Planet of the Spiders and The Seeds of Doom. Some aren't yet available yet - The Invasion of the Dinosaurs. All the 7s, 8s and 9s are worth a look too, but I'll focus on the 10s for the forseeable.

Alouette

2010-12-05T09:52:00.000Z

I like Cheryl Cole. For all the right reasons. All the wrong ones too. I've been intrigued by her latest number one hit 'Promise This'. What's that she's singing in the chorus? Its Wikipaedia Time.

The words are from the Canadian French song 'Alouette' - 'Skylark'. The lyrics of Promise This read like a children's bedtime song with allussions to If I Die Before I Wake. The French words Alouette, Plumerai Les Ailes speak of plucking or, I suggest, clipping the wings of the Skylark to keep it from escaping.

Great video, dark and mysterious. Contrasts to the heavy beat of the song.

Eighth-note Fills

2010-12-04T14:04:00.000Z

Spent twenty minutes writing out eighth-note rock fills. I love playing these, they sound so powerful. I also tried fills based around one quarter-note and two eights. These are great too.

Doctor Who Episode Guide

2010-12-03T17:45:00.000Z

From Maria. For my birthday yesterday.

Mojo play The Hind tonight, the last time this year (I think). I need to double-check the tuning of my toms, after all there's been plenty of opportunity for me to knogk them out of tune!

Snow could have been a problem...

2010-12-01T14:18:00.001Z

... but wasn't.

I was out of sorts but The Blues Demons managed a reasonably good gig at the Merchants Inn, Rugby last night. Al was ill, so was Tony, ahhh we were all under the weather in one form or another! The last gig for the acoustic blues band this year.

Priceless

2010-11-29T07:09:00.000Z

Playing with Mick Pini, Al and Paddy last night was a priceless experience. The atmosphere was electric - not bad considering it was an acoustic gig!

Snow at last

2010-11-28T09:52:00.000Z

Yesterday morning I awoke to the promised snow fall. I'm glad it happened early Saturday morning rather than when we were out at Burrough on the Hill near Melton. Good night, good gig. Maria and I drove over to Fletchley to a party last night. Its not far from Blaby. Good food, good party. We stopped the night and today we're looking forward to Mick Pini's acoustic at The Donkey - Mick is joined by Al Sansome on guitar, Paddy on double bass and yours truly on drums.

2011 Goals

2010-11-26T15:26:00.001Z

Looking back over the last year, I had a couple of goals I wanted to achieve -

'This New Year I'd like to tackle lead vocals on a couple of tracks; collect a set of Pearl hardware to go with my Pearl drums - probably older hardware too; I need a set of nice Maracas; looking into selling my the remainder of my Premier drums.'

I still haven't found the perfect track for me to tackle lead vocals - my backing is getting better and better all the time as my confidence grows.

Fibre Meinl maracas look cool and are very loud.

Instead of collecting Pearl hardware, I got a new set of Ludwig drums and as the existing hardware wears out I'll replace it with either Gibraltar or Ludwig hardware.

My vintage Premier drums are photographed and ready to show on Mike Dolbear's site, where, hopefully, they'll catch the eye of a collector who knows tha actual value of the drums... once I remember to advertise them!

So some of the goals are ongoing, but generally speaking its more about making music than buying decent equipment. My Ludwigs and Paiste 2002s are great and the current set of hotch-potch hardware usable. A decent set of Protection Racket bags would be good too, but only when the old ones are beyond repair.

Just one night

2010-11-25T14:55:00.001Z

After a late start due to illness, last night's gig at the Crow's Nest was a great success, with Mick Pini proving an excellent addition to the Mojo Hand line-up, even if for just one night.

I played reasonably well, more importantly it was great to use brand new sticks which hadn't been worn away from 5Bs to 5As! The Ludwigs still sounds great with coated heads - they feel normal to use now, after months using clear heads.

Crow's Nest

2010-11-24T10:19:00.001Z

Our Wednesday night gig at the Crow's Nest is becoming more and more popular. We enjoy the less formal atmosphere which gives us the chance to try new songs out and get some special guests up to play. Blues Legend Mick Pini may join us tonight, I'm playing at the Donkey with him on Sunday, with Al Sansome on guitar and Paddy on bass.

Welford Road

2010-11-22T07:09:00.000Z

With a great gig at Littlethorpe the night before, we were all set up to play a stormer at The Donkey yesterday afternoon. An enthusiastic crowd, coupled with a terrific sound (thanks Gaz) added up to a afternoon to remember. I got a bit carried away at the end of Walking Blues and the lads compared me to local skins demon Damon Claridge of The Drugstore Cowboys - high praise indeed. New song She's a Kinda Mover went down a storm too. All those hours of rehearsal paid off... Hours? More like minutes!

It was good to see tributes to Andy 'The Hammer' Read who died recently. He was a permanent fixture at The Donkey as well as a lovely guy and is sorely missed.

Memo: I have to remember to print out some new CDs Available posters though. Saves having to plug our range of CDs all the time.

When in doubt...

2010-11-20T14:02:00.000Z

If anyone in the family is struggling with what to buy me for Christmas this year, Vic Firth 5BN ('N' for nylon tips) drum sticks from Rock Factory are a safe bet. I hate useless presents.

Now the toms roar!

2010-11-20T13:54:00.000Z

Changing clear Ambassadors for coated has proved an excellent move. Now the toms roar! They sound good when miked up too, as I discovered at the Blues Guitar Heroes gig on Wednesday. Malc did the sound at the Musician and told me that he loved the kit. 'It does what it says on the tin' - I think he was referring to the name on the bass drum! Anyway the evening was a great success and the guys with the axes more or less behaved themselves. I still felt quite fresh at the end of the night and only crashed when my head hit the pillow.

Sub

2010-11-20T08:46:00.000Z

After a busy week back at work after a week sick, I'm looking forward to the weekend. After years collecting Modern Drummer from WH Smiths in Loughborough, I've decided to buy a subscription delivered direct from the states. Its cheaper, even with postage, and its delivered direct to my door. So I'm going to close my Smiths account this morning.

Guitar Heroes

2010-11-17T17:14:00.001Z

Tonight Mojo Hand are playing backing band to seven of Leicester's best blues guitarists at The Musician pub. Good opportunity for me to find out who's a top bloke and who's an arse!

Coated Ambassadors

2010-11-15T17:40:00.000Z

Used them as batter heads on my toms this weekend, with great results - a focussed, rich, roaring drum sound and a great feel under the sticks. I tuned the batters evenly to the bottoms which, as usual, worked perfectly.

Flued Up

2010-11-08T20:34:00.000Z

I could rant and rave about how wonderful it was to play a gig with a double bass in the band, played with skill by Al Sansome's friend Craig of the Dirty Robbers...

But I'm burning up with flu, have been for a while :-(

So if you'll excuse me... back to bed.

Strange Week

2010-11-05T17:18:00.001Z

I haven't quite come down with a cold this week. Very strange. Apart from that, I'm looking forward to playing The Hind, Leicester tonight with the Blues Demons, the Three Crowns, Hathern, with Mojo Hand on Saturday.

We'll be sticking with the music on Sunday as we enjoy bluegrass with the Toy Hearts at The Donkey.

Repairing Bags

2010-11-04T07:03:00.000Z

Before spending my hard earned cash on new bags, I should repair the ones I've got. Gaffa tape is the musician's fix all. The only one that's really reaching the end of its life is the cymbal bag, and only then when the second zip goes.

Cymbal Bag

2010-11-02T15:55:00.001Z

Protection Racket bags look the business and the best prices I've seen so far are at good ol' Rock Factory.

I'll begin with a cymbal bag next month, the one I've got is getting worn out.

Protection Racket Bags

2010-11-02T04:36:00.000Z

This company comes top in reviews. Can't access website from my phone so will wait until I get to my work computer.

Better Bags

2010-11-01T21:12:00.000Z

I prefer bags to hard cases for my drums. Cases take up too much room at gigs and are more wearing on thw inside the car. I bought the most affordable bags - re. cheap - that I could, but they are wearing out. I need to find out which are the best bags on the market and buy them in the New Year. An investment.

Pictures from an Exhibition...

2010-10-31T16:46:00.000Z

... Ska-style.

Laurel Aitken's exhibition at the New Walk Museum is wonderful - go. Go! Go now!!

Oh yes, one more thing...

2010-10-31T11:58:00.000Z

I didn't feel the vibrations of the medium cymbal right up the stick, like the Novas I bought last week.

Drum Sticks of Doom

2010-10-31T11:49:00.000Z

I'll tear myself away from the November issue of Doctor Who Magazine and talk of the new The Seeds of Doom dvd to reflect on using heavier weight Vic Firth 2BN sticks. They tire me out! They make the drums sound huge and feel better in the hands, more like I'm holding something. But at last night's gig I had to keep switching to my old 5BNs for a rest! Still, I kept going back to them every few numbers for while, then switched again. I'll get used to them.

2BN

2010-10-30T16:09:00.000+01:00

There's nothing like spending five minutes in a music shop comparing sticks, in this case the heavier 2BN with my usual axe, the 5BN. I walked away with the 2s. They're more substantial, all 'round. I looked at Vaters, which were a pound cheaper but, call me a snob, I'm sticking with Vic Firths.

Busy few days

2010-10-30T14:55:00.000+01:00

On Thursday, Mojo Hand played a storming hour long acoustic support slot to Giles Hedley. Or should I say, Giles Hedley's fans and followers. Hopefully we reached some new ears along the way. I played the first song, My Babe, with my Vic Firth Live Wire brushes then switched to sticks for the rest. The wires were fine for that particular number, but sticks suited the other songs, sound-wise.

I had a chance to compare notes with fellow Ludwig fan Damon from The Tailshakers. He commented on how good the kit sounded, especially the bass drum. He was surprised that it was a relatively cheap kit and one of those mass produced in China. I'm glad I opted not to have a mic on the bass drum and kept things simple and acoustic.

I'd never heard of Giles Hedley but after two hours non-stop delta blues on guitar and harmonicas, I knew why he's called a legend. To imitate the sound of a euphonium, he even played two harmonicas at the same time, one with his mouth, the other with his nose! The Tailshakers then got up for another hour's impromtue music. Maria and I finally called time at half twelve!

The Verdict on the Nova sticks

2010-10-27T22:11:00.000+01:00

Everything was fine until I started playing my 2002 Medium cymbal. I could feel the vibrations right up the stick into my arm! Horrible. I had to switch from the Novas to the older Vic Firths, which were loads better.

Looks like I'll have to stick with top quality sticks after all. I'm spoiled! I'll have to see if I can find a stick with a shorter shank though, I liked that.

Good so far...

2010-10-27T14:39:00.001+01:00

The Vic Firth Nova sticks have arrived and they look good, feel well-balanced and even weight in the hands. They have a shorter shank than the regular 5Bs I use... the shorter shank gives me more shaft and hopefully greater strength. The tip is larger, so I should get a bigger ride sound out of the cymbals. I can see why they would be considered 'seconds' - the wood isn't an even colour! Everything else seems fine though!

I'll get to try them tonight at the Crows Nest, Leicester.

Nova Sticks bought

2010-10-25T09:53:00.001+01:00

Two pairs on order. Under a tenner. Any good? We'll see.

The Frank Gannon Trio...

2010-10-24T23:30:00.000+01:00

... @ The Donkey.

After two sets comprising entirely of songs based on the rhumba/balero/surf rhythm, with subtle varitions, I've a better idea of what's at the heart of this beat... time to hit the manuscript paper once again!

Must Buy/Try

2010-10-24T14:18:00.000+01:00

With a splintering of wood I lost another worn down 5B. I must buy/try a couple of pairs of Novas on Monday from Rock Factory.

Joyful Noise

2010-10-24T14:13:00.000+01:00

This ska/swing/bluegrass five-piece, headed by singer songwriter Sara Spade, were a terrific surprise at The Donkey. I remember seeing Sara Spade at the Doghouse in Loughborough and the material she's doing now is a huge contrast to the 'gritty domesticity' of her earlier CD. I liked it. The drummer used yellow Flix brushes exclusively on a Premier kit.

How...

2010-10-21T20:08:00.000+01:00

... I've been playing my bass drum recently -

I tend to play shuffle-based beats four on the floor, sometimes feathered, and straight beats with the two beat bass drum, heel up on rock numbers.

Printed Poster

2010-10-21T17:16:00.000+01:00

We should get our new Mojo Hand poster before the weekend. We've had five hundred printed which works out at about eight pence a copy - much cheaper than photocopying and should keep the band in posters for the next few years.

Nova

2010-10-18T21:08:00.000+01:00

I must sound so cheap talking about using Vic Firth 'seconds' instead of the brand name sticks. However I gig an awful lot and sticks and heads don't last forever. I use Remos primarily 'cos they're the cheapest heads online (from Rock Factory) - I like the sound and durability too of course!

Drumsticks without breaking the bank?

2010-10-18T13:03:00.001+01:00

I'm fast wearing out my Vic Firth 5Bs. They've been my axe of choice for a long time now but after lots of hard gigging and hard playing they're wearing thin and usually don't survive Big Boss Man. Hah! I can get Vic Firths from Rock Factory for eight pounds (no postage) which is great. However, I could get Novas for a fiver. Why would I want to change? According to online sources, they're made by Vic Firth and apart from a few blemishes are the same stick. They're available in the same sizes, including nylon tips, which I find much more hard wearing than wood. I may also give 2Bs a try as they are a heavier stick and 5Bs seem light to me now.

The Hind once again

2010-10-15T13:59:00.000+01:00

You know, I can't remember if its Mojo Hand tonight or the Blues Demons at The Hind... not that it really matters to me. Same kit, same style. Different volume, more cross-stick! Great gig, can't wait to play tonight.

40K gaming

2010-10-15T13:28:00.000+01:00

After using my 180 orks in a 1200pt game I soon realised that whilst the mass numbers were reasonably effective, the mobs had no ranged firepower. I've just finished assembling enough big shooters and rokkits to equip six thirty strong mobs, twelve to be exact. This should give the boys the kind of heavy weapons fire which can pelt the enemy whilst advancing. It will slow the advance a little as the mobs will be unable to run but my opponent will have to keep his head down! I've also assembled the Nobs from Black Reach - they only have slugga and choppas, a 10pt upgrade. Nobs with power fists are pricy at 35pts each and I'd rather spend my points on better guns.

As well as 1200pt games, we're talking about playing 600pt lunchtime games. I've got the gaming bug!

Slithy Toves

2010-10-15T12:21:00.000+01:00

When I saw Terry Gillian's Jabberwocky back to back with one of my favourite movies, Monty Python's Holy Grail, I was reasonably entertained. Later I discovered that the Jabberwocky is one of the great nonsense poems of literature and is part of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

The poem is oft quoted in Doctor Who. Pertwee (3rd) sings of the Slithy Toves in The Silurians and McCoy (7th) confounds Light with talk of Baddersnatchers and Slithy Toves in Ghostlight. Tennant (10th) also uses nonsense words from Jabberwocky in the BBC novel The Nightmare at Black Island.

CV

2010-10-14T14:47:00.000+01:00

I've another entry to add to my musical CV - Gypsy Jazz with The Gouchos. They asked me to sit in with them and their own brand of Django Rienhard inspired swing music at Al's Acoustic Club. I quickly switched to brushes after fighting with sticks so I could keep up with the break neck tempos. I mostly played two beats and train beats with the odd triplet figure thrown in the give the swing effect. They even traded fours with me - excellent! Everyone congratulated us on the sound... I'll have to check out Tommy Igoe's Groove Essentials 2 which has a whole section on fast brush playing to get a better handle on the style.

No floor tom tonight

2010-10-13T10:22:00.001+01:00

As well as carting my drums to Al's Acoustic Club tonight, I'm going to pick up Mick Ridgway with his harps. On the way back I'll be giving both him and Maria a lift home, so I'll leave my floor tom for tonight. That will give me more room in the back of the car.

I love using the floor tom, but I'm still considering using the 10"x8" Ludwig tom - I might give it a try this weekend.

Four on the Floor, the perfect bass drum pattern?

2010-10-12T13:39:00.001+01:00

My experiments with using Four on the Floor at gigs continues to reap huge rewards. Apart from some signature syncopated drum beats, such as Honky Tonk Woman, Walking the Dog and Mustang Sally, all the songs we play feature this solid bass drum pattern. All apart from the songs on which I play the Train beat, and I'm even practicing that FOTF.

Why FOTF? It has its own integrity. No nonsense, driving, it can be played under any bass line. It also allows me to give a consistent feel to all the songs. The beat can also be phrased to fit both swing and rock/shuffle beats, feathered on one and stomped on the other.

Final Tour Date

2010-10-10T15:36:00.000+01:00

Last date of the County Tour is at the Stamford Arms, Groby. Drums are still sounding good although the drummer is a little weary. From a playing point of view, Four on the Floor is still king. So is the 'no ghost notes' rule. All gigs have gone well, especially The Lion at Basford, Nottingham. Quigleys at Rugby is a close second though. Great party atmosphere at the Irish bar - The Lion was a more discerning Blues audience. Sold some CDs. Need to sell more.

Confidence

2010-10-09T14:35:00.000+01:00

Sometimes you need to exercise a little confidence. To remember that simple beats played well are the way forward. That your carefully tuned drums, especially the 20" power bass drum, really do sound great. If not, a satisfying career playing music may be stifled by too many negative thoughts. It helps when you know your band is looking out for you.

I've been using a quarter-note triplet ride pattern on Bright Lights Big City but as Al pointed out last night, it doesn't fit with the medley we play with Baby what You want Me to Do. I'm glad he pointed it out. When you work closely with musicians you respect, you don't mind if they ask you to change stuff. In fact you welcome it.

One hundred and eighty

2010-10-07T15:28:00.001+01:00

On a different note from normal, today I achieved a milestone of another kind.

As an avid collector of Games Workshop miniatures, especially Space Orks, I finally finished one hundred and eighty Ork boyz. This is the maximum allowed in a Warhammer 40,000 army, six full-strength mobs. Its taken ten years, of which one hundred and twenty were assembled and painted in the last three years. I can't wait to use them!

County Tour

2010-10-07T14:26:00.001+01:00

Mick Ridgway's Mojo Hand begins the 'County Tour' as I'm calling it, tonight -

Thursday 7 October - The Merry Monk, Oakham, Rutland
Friday 8 October - Quigleys, Rugby, Warwickshire
Saturday 9 October - The Lion, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Sunday 10 October - Stamford Arms, Groby, Leicestershire

Time to tighten the belt.

High-ImpactPosters

2010-10-05T22:39:00.000+01:00

I've been designing and am about to design a number of 'high-impact' posters for Mojo Hand. Funnily enough the typeface I've chosen is called, no surprise, Impact. We need so many posters these days that I've suggested we print 500 at once. They're cheaper that way.

An Observation

2010-10-03T18:18:00.000+01:00

Used Four on the Floor almost exclusively last night. Enough said.

Got carried away...

2010-10-03T13:26:00.000+01:00

Excellent gig last night at The Railway Hotel, Countesthorpe. I felt my right hand stick go during High Heel Sneakers. there are plenty of stops in the song so I was able to switch to a less chewed one without any fuss.

Tuning Notes #8

2010-10-02T14:32:00.000+01:00

At the King William IV, I was set up half on carpet half on tiles. The floor tom stood on the tiles and sounded a little odd. I realised that one of the tuning rods needed tightening then the drum sounded much better. Not sure if the problem was the rod or the tiles, didn'y have time to investigate.

Damped the bass drum with a towel which focussed the sound without sacrificing volume.

Something to work on...

2010-10-01T13:31:00.001+01:00

As well as exploring half-time shuffle, my priority is to work on my bass drum technique, particularly heel up.

Half-time Shuffles are cool!

2010-09-30T14:40:00.001+01:00

Last night I decided to try playing My Babe playing the half-time shuffle all the way through, instead of varying between half-time, common-time and double-time.

It sounded great so I'm going to explore the half-time shuffle in my Moleskine Manuscript Notebook, which is rapidly filling up with rhythmic ideas.

Bonham Story

2010-09-29T13:57:00.000+01:00

Listened to the first twenty minutes of John Bonham - lots of famous names, including Carmine Appice, who introduced Bonham to Ludwig drums.

Music Quiz

2010-09-28T15:04:00.001+01:00

I'm trying to discover the name of the music is for the lastest Comet advert - the one with the blender? Its old swing-style horns mixed with ska.

Need to catch this...

2010-09-26T16:05:00.000+01:00

Tuesday night, Radio 2 - The John Bonham Story presented by Dave Grohl.

Hi-hat Technique

2010-09-26T11:22:00.000+01:00

When I first started to go to gigs with club band Tanglefoot back in the early eighties, I noticed that their drummer played the hi-hats in a particular way. He used the shoulder of the stick against the edge. This gave him a really thick sound which I've recently adopted myself. This works for all styles and gives the cymbals greater prescence. I have enough technique to control volume of the cymbals whilst maintaining the thicker sound.

Tuning Notes#7

2010-09-26T10:05:00.000+01:00

With Ambassadors all 'round (coated snare and Powerstroke 3 bass drum) the kit sounded fantastic in the Stamford Arms' huge function room. Equal tuning top and bottom is the best all round tuning.

I have to maintain this sound. Maintain, not change.

In the end the Controlled Sound, although the best heavy heads I've used and certainly better than double-plys, they're just choke the drums. So I'll keep it simple with Remo Ambassadors.

Lighter Fluid

2010-09-25T10:03:00.000+01:00

I'm going to buy a tin of lioghter fluid today. Not to set my drums on fire, so I can clean duct tape glue off my Powerstroke 3 bass drum head.

Just a quick note...

2010-09-25T01:18:00.000+01:00

After using Remo CS heads for a few weeks I've decided to revert to the Ludwig branded Ambassador heads that came with the kit. Although the CS sounded really focused at first, in different venues they proved too heavy. A coated dot on the snare about killed it! So its back to a coated Ambassador on the snare, clear on the toms and a Powerstroke 3 on the bass drum. I'll tune them equally with the bottom heads and they should be good to go. If I've learnt anything, equal tuning works best.

Half/Common/Double

2010-09-24T10:30:00.001+01:00

My Babe is a lovely song. I use it to showcase one of the ideas I've been exploring over the last few months - playing a groove common-time then changing the backbeats to create a half-time or double-time feel. The song is a shuffle, played four on the floor and cross-stick. I play the verses half-time, the harmonica solos common-time, then double-time to push the guitar solos.

Five

2010-09-22T20:04:00.000+01:00

Am still considering using the ten inch drum that came with my Ludwig kit... need to find a ten inch Controlled Sound head, I think I've still got one knocking around.

New Poster

2010-09-22T16:48:00.001+01:00

This weekend's gigs are all 'local' - two in Leicester (Criterion/Swan & Rushes) and one on Groby (Stamford Arms), which is just on the outskirts. All Mojo Hand.

I'm going to work on a new style poster for the band - something that will look good regardless of whether its printed on a high volume press or a photocopier. The idea is to render the band photo like a lith-style photo - black and white with dots. Very old school but stylish. A charcoal effect might be good too.

Team-up

2010-09-20T09:08:00.000+01:00

Charlie Lewin is my left-hand man. Not that he's left-handed but I always prefer the bassist to stand on my left. He'll part of the Mojo Hand rhythm section, one of the strongest in town. His solid bass lines could allow me room to stretch out and express myself, but actually it does the opposite. I like to stick to him like glue and keep my drumming in the pocket. Anything else is a distraction. Its the same when I play with Al Sansome in the Blues Demons. His philosophy is find a bass line and play it over and over. Works for me. Showboating is out of place, groove is everything. And that groove is whatever pattern/style makes the music move. From a rock beat to a shuffle to a looser form like a rhumba, the music must feel good.

Its not enough to just have good bass and drums, the rhythm guitar has to be top notch too. In fact, all three instruments must lock together, the bass with the bass drum and the guitar with the snare and hi-hat. A rhythm section with a great rhythm guitarist rules. I'd prefer a great rhythm player who is an average soloist over some one who is just a soloist. Fortunately Al Sansome excels at both rhythm and soloing - not many guitarists can, they all want to be soloists. Mojo has it all in spades.

Signing Off

2010-09-19T16:11:00.000+01:00

The first and last time I heard Signing Off by UB40 was in 1985. A college mate gave me a copy of the lp and I played it 'til the tape broke. Why I haven't picked up a copy 'til now is anyones guess. The cd sounds as fresh now as it did then. Harder edged than the whimpy Labour of Love series, Signing Off is astonishingly high quality. As well as top rankin' performances from all instrumentalists, Jim Brown's drums are outstanding - pile-driving grooves and titanic rolls around the concert toms. An unbelievable debut album.

Tuning Notes #6

2010-09-18T19:03:00.000+01:00

An undamped bass drum works a treat - the overtones are swallowed up by the rest of the band. Since Friday night at The Hind playing on a wooden floor, I've tuned a quarter turn all the way round to literally tighten up the sound.

Nice Surprise

2010-09-17T05:17:00.000+01:00

Planet of the Daleks is a six part adventure. Coupled with Frontier in Space, this makes twelve!

New Shuffle Grooves

2010-09-16T23:04:00.000+01:00

These are all the rhythmic variations I can write based on eight-note triplets. Some are already existing grooves - the first is the blues beat, the second the shuffle, from which swing is also derived, the fourth the upbeat shuffle, fifth and sixth are quarter-note triplet grooves. The others could make good alternative shuffle grooves, with a little work...

Core Grooves

2010-09-16T21:05:00.000+01:00

Quarter-note (two beat)
Eight-note (rock)
Dotted eight-note (shuffle)
Dotted eight-note (swing)
Sixteens (funk)
Eight-note (up-beat)
Eight-note Triplets (blues)
Quarter-note Triplets