The England Flag and the Barmaid

Present: Ad, Fea, Tom

Venue: Valley Studios, Winchester

Ben's found the band a potential drummer to help out. The details were handed over whereupon nothing will happen until the paper on which the details have been written turn up disintegrating in a pocket of a pair of Tom's newly washed jeans.

For some strange reason the Willow Tree pub, now famous in the local press for having an enormous England flag draped over one side, has taken to closing early on a Tuesday night leaving our boy band gasping for refreshment before toiling home. Tonight their luck was back in.

The barmaid that was befriended last week was awarded a copy of Doing Somersaults [sourced by Tom, presented by Ad]. This seemed to make her evening. She'll be on holiday next week. Going to Cornwall.

'Just make sure you switch off the lights and the water fountains before you go.'

Post Practice Pint Piffle:
The stress of work and looking for new jobs. Fea's forthcoming radio interview - something to do with his school. Nobody cares.

Drag Me To The Liberty Ballroom and get served by a former pupil

Present: Ad, Fea

Venue: Head Teacher's Office, The Winchcombe School, Newbury

Uke and a guitar, that's all you need.

Fea discovered some lyrics in his Loopy folder on his laptop.  Neither Ad nor he knew where they had come from.  So, based on some chords mined from World Party's 'Put The Message In A Box', they came up with a brand new song.

A second new song was born with the words 'Drag me to the Liberty Ballroom'.  Before going down the pub which the band used to frequent when they regularly rehearsed at Fea's first Newbury School. 

They walked in on a Pub Quiz and were served by one of Fea's former pupils.

Where Do You Go when it's Tom's Birthday

Present: Ad, Eg, Fea, Tom [later]

The evening was dedicated recording a new song called Where Do You Go.

Ad laid down the guide ukulele and vocal and Eg added a piano intro before putting down his lead vocal.



Fea added guitar using his niece's 'baby acoustic'.

Birthday boy Tom and Bex [still both unmarried] turned up after their celebratory meal in Winchester.

Tom added a distinctly non-choppy piano to the proceedings and Bex refused to add her backing vocals which had earlier been heartily cocked up by Tom and Fea.

Eg and a double-tracked Ad saved the day there.

Overall, a rather good evening's work.

Mini Audience stimulates Practice

Present: Ad, Eg, Fea and Tom

Guests: Sarah, Joe and Hannah

Joe took over some bass playing, Ad on broken drums, Hannah hit a tom tom and Sara tambourine

Post Practice:
Fea convince Sziget attendance, Flight cancellations, Ad Thai

Kingmaker

Present: Ad, Eg, Fea, Tom

Venue: Valley Studios

This evening involved mulled wine, as warmed in the filthy microwave in the rehearsal area while listening to some band playing a great rendition of Phils Collins & Bailey's Easy Lover. Tom jigging around so much he nearly spilled the wine down the back of a stray amp.

It also involved the recording of a track called Kingmaker. Supposedly an album filler, but with the Loopy perfectionists on hand it turned into a bit of an opus.

Fea laid down his rhythm guitar to a click track. Always a bit of a hit and miss exercise but success was achieved in three takes.

Probably.

Eg put down his vocals. Ad his bass. Then came Tom's dodgy guitar, Ad's dodgy backing vocals and Eg's rather fine new Toy instrument, the melodica.

More backing vocals later and there was something resembling a mixable track for the boys to take home and assess.