Monday, November 22, 2004
Scar Tissue
I'm reading Anthony Kiedis' autobiography "Scar Tissue" at the moment, what an amazing read - it just sucks you straight in from the first chapter. I've been deeply in love with the Red Hots (see how quickly you can pick up the "correct" terminology?) since "Mother's Milk" - still their best album in my opinion - after seeing the video for "Taste the Pain" on Raw Power (classic late-night rock TV show) and so when my cuz asked for it for his birthday it was with the caveat that I could have 2nd dibs.
AK - or Mr. Kiedis, to avoid 1st person conjugatory confusion - comes across as a genuinely warm and compassionate human being who just happens to have lived a life that has been crazier than a bag full of snakes. It's the honest and almost-naïve way that he explains his attitude towards taking boat-loads of contraband, the early career of RHCP (I've only read as far as Hillel Slovak re-joining the band) and his relationship with Flea - it's a great read and I'm sure it will get better. They haven’t even met Chad Smith yet (surely destined to be played by Will Ferrell in the film of the band's career?).
Müf rehearsal on Saturday was legendary, we've got three songs together (well, we can remember most of how they go…) and loads of other bits and pieces ideas to play around with. I'm comfortable singing, if not completely happy with the lyrics I have so far - at least I've dropped the Amercian accent! - and we're starting to really bed in as an artistic enterprise. But, as Ian the drumspanker mentioned to me yesterday, he's only around till March so we either have to convince him that his destiny lies with us, or find a new drummist in the spring. Wonder if Dave Grohl fancies taking on a new project? Spent Sunday trying Ian out as drummist for Red Antennae too, Nat and Dan thought he was the poodle's noodles, but as he'll probably be away with his other band in March, the most we can hope for is a handful of gigs out of him and [hopefully] some new recordings.
Spent Saturday night with Red Antennae catching up with ex-drummer Tim who was back from university for the weekend. Went to a restaurant in Hackney called LMNT, which was unbelievable. It's a French-Egyptian place, the interior looks like the set of an Indiana Jones film (our table was inside a giant urn), and the food was amazing, cheap (£25 a head for a great night out?) and on our table about 3 mins after we had ordered. Try the Egyptian Ice Teas - they were almost my downfall.
I'm off to see my former band Yankee 99er play at the Fez this Wednesday, I'll be reviewing the evening's performances in an attempt to try and keep a balanced, objective viewpoint under unique circumstances, and quite frankly I can’t wait. I know the band rock out with the power of 10 tigers, so it'll be a good show, but it will be the first time I've seen them from out front! They have a little work to do after the photo on their website though, which looks more like a boy band than a rock band, but I suppose they are trying to get away from comparisons to the Darkness which were always hanging around. Not sure if looking like Savage Garden is going to help them, but it's still early doors and knowing Henry they'll probably - hopefully - try out a few other "looks" before they crack it.
AK - or Mr. Kiedis, to avoid 1st person conjugatory confusion - comes across as a genuinely warm and compassionate human being who just happens to have lived a life that has been crazier than a bag full of snakes. It's the honest and almost-naïve way that he explains his attitude towards taking boat-loads of contraband, the early career of RHCP (I've only read as far as Hillel Slovak re-joining the band) and his relationship with Flea - it's a great read and I'm sure it will get better. They haven’t even met Chad Smith yet (surely destined to be played by Will Ferrell in the film of the band's career?).
Müf rehearsal on Saturday was legendary, we've got three songs together (well, we can remember most of how they go…) and loads of other bits and pieces ideas to play around with. I'm comfortable singing, if not completely happy with the lyrics I have so far - at least I've dropped the Amercian accent! - and we're starting to really bed in as an artistic enterprise. But, as Ian the drumspanker mentioned to me yesterday, he's only around till March so we either have to convince him that his destiny lies with us, or find a new drummist in the spring. Wonder if Dave Grohl fancies taking on a new project? Spent Sunday trying Ian out as drummist for Red Antennae too, Nat and Dan thought he was the poodle's noodles, but as he'll probably be away with his other band in March, the most we can hope for is a handful of gigs out of him and [hopefully] some new recordings.
Spent Saturday night with Red Antennae catching up with ex-drummer Tim who was back from university for the weekend. Went to a restaurant in Hackney called LMNT, which was unbelievable. It's a French-Egyptian place, the interior looks like the set of an Indiana Jones film (our table was inside a giant urn), and the food was amazing, cheap (£25 a head for a great night out?) and on our table about 3 mins after we had ordered. Try the Egyptian Ice Teas - they were almost my downfall.
I'm off to see my former band Yankee 99er play at the Fez this Wednesday, I'll be reviewing the evening's performances in an attempt to try and keep a balanced, objective viewpoint under unique circumstances, and quite frankly I can’t wait. I know the band rock out with the power of 10 tigers, so it'll be a good show, but it will be the first time I've seen them from out front! They have a little work to do after the photo on their website though, which looks more like a boy band than a rock band, but I suppose they are trying to get away from comparisons to the Darkness which were always hanging around. Not sure if looking like Savage Garden is going to help them, but it's still early doors and knowing Henry they'll probably - hopefully - try out a few other "looks" before they crack it.
# posted by AK @ 15:35 
