Darryl Reed feat. Cormac Heron & Seb Frost

About 10 to 8 on the night of Lovenite 2010 I was nabbed by this guy, Darryl Reed. “Yeah you made have heard of me… I’ve been in things.” Darryl wanted me to play bass and wanted Seb to play kit whilst he rocked out. I thought he was just going to play the blues. As it happened he ended up playing full songs. And they were great songs! I was just about able to keep up with him, until he turned his back every so often and I was hung out to dry. I really was on my toes.

Here’s a a video recorded from the balcony. Darryl Reed. You may have heard of him. He’s been in stuff. (As it happens he’s an ex porn star and was a friend of Nico of Velvet Underground fame.)

Fri 10th October 2008 – Eggtimer Gig

• Act: Eggtimer – Improvised Rock (Cormac on bass)
• Event: Joe Moon’s Birthday
• Venue: The Marlboro Tavern
• Time: 10pm
• Address: Sedgmore Place, London SE5 7SE
• Entrance: Free

27 June 2008 – Eggtimer – Let Loose In Camden!

We are playing in Nambucca, 596 Holloway Road, London, N76LB tomorrow. On at 8.45. Come on down if you are in town. No two Eggtimer gigs are the same. No two Eggtimer songs are the same. All our songs rock though. Don’t believe me? Ok, fair enough.

Eggtimer Rock!

A couple of weeks ago I played a blinder gig with my improv rock band Eggtimer. We were all on fire. I was so on fire I broke a string on my D string on 5 string bass. How rock is that? And I’m 35 years old! If I did coke and hookers I’d be up there with John Entwhistle.

Instead of replacing my string I have decided to play the now four stringed bass and be on fire every time until I break the rest of the strings. In fact my main ambition is to end up with no strings during a gig and just hum bass lines. Why not? I have a baritone voice so my singing tutor tells me.

Eggtimer Live: Before

Eggtimer Live: Before

Originally uploaded by Cormac Heron

The calm before the chaos. Eggtimer this time featured:

Joe Moon – Vocals
Phil Phamous – Guitar
Jim Moon – Guitar
Cormac Heron – Bass
Ben – Drums

As with any Eggtimer gig you never know what you’re going to get. This was the first time the five of us had ever played before. Jim and Ben had only ever played about two songs each on different occasions.

Eggtimer Live: After

Eggtimer Live: After

Originally uploaded by Cormac Heron

Last song report:

I unplugged one of the guitarists for playing a song I didn’t want to play. He walked off in a huff but then returned – note him in the corner. The singer was spinning about on the floor of the stage like a possessed maniac. I started standing on his belly. The other guitarist unplugged my bass. I gave the drummer the signal to cut it. End of gig.

Fri 18th Jan 2008

Eggtimer Gig This Friday: 12 Bar Club @ 9pm

Eggtimer will be improvising their nonsense this Friday in the 12 Bar Club. Visit the gig section and print some info out for cheapo entry. Be warned this music will be fully improvised and loud. Yes. I’ll also be playing the 12 Bar on Valentine’s Day and that show will be very structured and with Kevin Hylands. Bring your lovers. It will be nice.

Audtioning Drummers

Let’s face it: Drummers are mad. And the more madder they are generally they better at drumming they are. Eggtimer played a stinker gig last Tuesday (8th Jan) because we had no drummers and tried playing along with a drum track. A mess it was. Also we had a new guitarist who’d only ever played with us in the studio – Jim from The Moon. So on Friday we made up for it by having three drummers. It was fantastic. We played one song with one drummer, then another with another drummer and another with the other and then just kept rotating them. It’s a great way to audition drummers: play them live with two others to compere with. Kind of Drummer Idol or something. Needlesstosay they were all maniacs so it was an ace gig. Roll on Friday! We’re playing the 12 Bar Club! It’ll be the first time the five of us will have played as a bunch of people together – ever!  

Tues 8th Jan 2008 – Eggtimer Gig

• No songs
• No rehearsals
• No permanent band members

Even less permanent band members as two of the band have decided to leave. Still every time we take to the stage you can be sure of one thing. We haven’t a clue what we are going to do. Every time therefore it is exciting. Plus I have just bought a new bass. An orange one. Fat with an extra string. One more string for that extra width of welly. Come on down to the New Cross Inn tomorrow night (08.01.08). We’ll be on at about 9ish. It may even change your mind.

How To Improvise: Rock Music

Improvisation = Confidence = Sheer Conviction

Key thoughts on improvising rock music:

• There is no room for wishy-washy nonsense when you improvise.
• You grab the gig by the throat, thrown it up against the wall and say “That is what you have wanting”
• When you go into a verse or a chorus or a bridge you have to be determined. You must own that part and take the whole song with you.
• You must listen to what is going on around you
• Look up. See what’s happening. (Particularly look out for the ending of the song).
• Try not to go over four minutes.
• Don’t go longer than four minutes in more than two songs.
  
• Definitely don’t go longer than eight minutes.
• Play to the strengths of the other players. (E.g. I know that Joe Moon sounds better in ‘D’ or ‘E’ than in the key of ‘A’)
• Nail it