Blogs

We had a busy weekend........... Friday night saw us at The Dalesman in Leeds; near Kirkham Abbey to be exact and we played to a very enthusiastic and warm audience. You know when you can't put a foot wrong and I loved being told by more than one person that we were great - we'll be going back there for sure. The kebab on the way home was good as well!

For any devotees of my gear page this will be NEWS! Puzzled by the fact that I have 2 Bad Horsie Wah pedals? Well to confuse you I now have a Bad Horsie 2! Does that make four..................

Oh, and have bought a 77 Les Paul Custom with three pickups - like Peter Frampton, well mines natural! Don't worry we aren't going all classic rock, its more Mick Ronson than the former mod.

That's it for now,

Steve

Now officially over 3000 unique hits. For anybody who thinks this kind of stuff is important, at the time of writing Swampsnake has racked up 3004 hits in the last couple of years. Mr Pleasure and Fire on the Moon is behind, but posted quite a bit later - we're looking at over 2000 hits there. Bobbing way behind are some vids from the USA as well as fan postings - I can only assume that its this website that is directing viewers where they need to go; hang on a couple of weeks while I get the Google diagnostics out!

Keep up the good work and look out for some more vids,

The USA trip is now just 7 weeks ago and the squeaking organisational wheels are being oiled to turn more quickly. Contracts are now with the venues and festival organisers and we have sepcified our riders - how rock and roll is that. Logistics are being sorted out and we are looking forward to re-acquainting ourselves with Larry who looked after us so well last year. We're also gearing up for merchandising and we have a great design for T-shirts and a backdrop - different designs but the former created for us by a very good friend of the band.

Hi all - I woke up feeling wistful this morning after our first proper gig with Kim our new drummer at the Victoria Club in Chesterfield last night - a great venue, fantastic stage, big room, good acoustics and staff who really seem to care about music and want to keep rock music playing there. I am not sure if I dreamt/remembered or imagined a night of people dancing, loving live music and engaging with the band. Didn't it used to be like that?

OK, I'm from the North West the root of the country's wealth during the industrial revolution through to the late-mid 20th century. Here we have new creative industries like music with the major cities having a significant contribution to exports and GDP - in Manchester it was bands like the Happy Mondays and Stone Roses' latterly Doves and Elbow. Take That..... mmm, yes, weren't they that band that cavorted in bondage gear and leather in front of middle aged confused men in gay bars. Indeed.

Oh dear, we wound down on the gig-getting front last year for a number of reasons, finally exhausting our booked gigs in February this year - playing just two or three gigs between September and December 2009 but still racking up nearly 70 gigs in that year.

 What's happened -well venues have shut and we are in competition, ahem, with a whole load of new bands playing covers where we do them and a bit of a lull everywhere else. We can get gigs but very little is around until much later in the year.

Another blog from me! I really must get my act together and put my thoughts down more often.

 But I was so pleased with our most recent practice that I wanted to share it! It felt for me like coming home musically, like we were all excited by what we were playing and sounded fantastic together. My voice seemed to be coming from somewhere else - if you know what I mean - as if it was bypassing my brain! That is a great feeling......a kind of altered state...

When it comes to blogging I am quite lost. I have spent much time enjoying The Amplifires music and the friendship of the persons who make up this enjoyable group. Changes happen but noone who ever ventures close to The Amplifires is ever forgotten. 2009 was an excellent year full of adventure and song. 2010 has been even better yet still barely underway. This is due mostly because of the members relentless pursuit of gigs across the U.K. and building toward the second U.S. tour in the fall.