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So there I was, just having a look at a YouTube video demonstrating the latest piece of DS gear lust, the Boss PS6 Harmonist, when who should pop up but Blunders playing ridiculously good stuff on an Octopad.  :shock:

Great version of Streetlife with amazing playing by all - go to 6:40 if you're not a guitar tech geek!  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uXPZpUgTOU

Well, what a treat that was – getting to see Joe Satriani, one of the finest guitarists on the planet, jamming with Jem.  And the boy done good! If you didn't know that this was his 1st gig with Satch, you'd have thought he'd been in the band for years. What impressed me most was that he was often playing note for note unison or harmony runs with Joe, who's not exactly the slowest guitarist in the world!   :shock: You also have to remember that only 2 weeks after TDOTR (with its 1½ hour set mostly of non-Frost* material), Jem had to learn, master and remember a 2½ hour set of music of huge complexity and of which he'd had no prior involvement.  And play it on someone else's keyboard set-up, with no Fantom in sight.  And perform lead cowbell! 8-)

Satch himself was on incredible form – best of the 4 times I've seen him.  Great set list, with a mix of the very good new album and lots of classics.  Highlights for me were, amongst others, the Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing and Wind In The Trees featuring a solo spot for Jem with an amazing piano solo.  Wish I'd filmed it but the bouncers were keeping an eye out for people doing that.  I did manage to grab a few photos though.  Mike Evs will no doubt take much better ones at Birmingham tonight but the ones below should give a flavour of what it was like.

When they came on for the encore, Jem laughed when he spotted my Frost* t-shirt and gave a wave.  






On lead cowbell...

'What's that chord, Joe?'

Let's hear it for the new boy!

Mission accomplished!

I know one or two of you here (including Jem) are Pallas fans so here is a bit of a shocker just sent out from Alan Reed, singer of the band since 1984.

"It is with great regret that I must tell you that I am no longer a member of Pallas.

This is not a situation of my desire or choosing. I have been unceremoniously informed that the other members of the band have unanimously decided to sack me. This has happened without prior warning or discussion.

The purported reason is an alleged lack of commitment on my part to the band and the forthcoming album. My external activities with other projects is cited in support of this.

I can only express my sadness that I will no longer be part of the Pallas story. The new album was/is shaping up to be a good one, and I was looking forward to participating fully in it.

I take extreme exception to the suggestion that I was not committed to the band. As I'm sure anyone who knows me will testify, I've been passionate about Pallas since I first joined 25 years ago. I've also been very active in the organisation of the band on many levels.

I can't begin to say how angry and hurt I feel at the way this has been done. We've all been through a lot together over the years, and I've always considered every member of the band and crew a close personal friend. I'd like to say that I wish Graeme, Niall, Ronnie and Colin the best of luck without me - but as you will understand, such Machiavellian treatment leaves a bitter taste. However, I am not and never have been vengeful, and perhaps in the fullness of time we'll speak again.. But this is a betrayal that is not easily forgiven.

As for my own future, it's too early to say. I had not anticipated this, and was expecting a full programme of Pallas-related activity over the next year. Whatever my next move is, it's likely to sound very different. I hope you will continue to offer me the same support and friendship that I have enjoyed up until now.

Alan Reed"

 :shock:  

Dec has just posted this on his MySpace site:-

"Hello all – I just wanted to add a brief update on what I've currently got lined up for this year.

Firstly though, I've decided after some thought and consideration to leave Darwin's Radio and concentrate on getting on with my own material.

The band demanded more time than it was receiving and I hoped that a more definite game plan would have been a consideration looking into 2010, but with everyone's busy schedule it was evident that the band would not pick up the needed momentum and move at the speed I'd hoped for.

I leave the group on good terms and thank the guys for some great times over the last 6 years and wish them every success for the future.

There is an announcement coming up on the DR site soon.
 
On to my own material than, I have 8 songs demo-ed at the moment with a few other 'on the boil' and am hoping to get into the studio in February to get recording underway. The songs are more mainstream, more keyboard-y sounding than guitar... I'm also looking to line up some musicians to work with at the moment, more news when I have it
 
Dec xx"

Good luck to Dec with his own material - I'll certainly be looking out for it.
However, I can't pretend I'm not sad that he has left DR - he was an integral part in making their 2 albums to date amongst the best new prog albums in years.
Really wish I'd been able to make that Peel gig now.  :roll:

This just up on the It Bites website http://www.itbites.com/

Press Release
Calling All The Heroes by It Bites -  
Flood Charity EP and Video to be recorded this week.

The Cumbrian band It Bites are to bring together members of the rock and pop world to record their classic hit Calling All The Heroes to help with the relief efforts after the recent flooding in Cumbria.

Calling All The Heroes will feature It Bites with John Wetton and Geoff Downes from (Asia, Yes, Roxy Music, Buggles and King Crimson), Marillion, Howard Jones, Jem Godfrey and Mark Baker (from Carlisle's Burn The Negative) all taking part in the project.

The recording will take place at John Wetton's and Geoff Downes' studio near to Milton Keynes on Friday 4th of December and will be released in the next two weeks as an e.p. with a video which will be produced by Russell Cherrington from the Film and Television Department of the Faculty of the Arts at the University of Cumbria.

Russell has produced videos for Japan, Peter Gabriel and Queensryque.

Press
There will be a promotional music video and electronic press kit that will be available for press to use and we can get material for the press to use in the form of video, sound and photography.
A charity concert for the floods is to be announced soon headlined by It Bites.
For additional press information please contact
russell.cherrington@cumbria.ac.uk


Excellent news and all in a good cause! Buy lots for all your Christmas presents!  8-)

For the last 3 and a bit years, most Wednesday nights (hence the name) I go round to a friend's house and we write and record our own music.  Rock with a strong proggy influence mainly.  We have just completed our 3rd WWW album, called Legacy.  Most of the album is now available to listen to on our MySpace site.  

http://www.myspace.com/wednesdaywithoutwoe

However, missing is an instrumental (Fountain of Edwardis) and the 17 minute long piece, Margin of Error, has only 2 of its 4 sections (MoE and Goals) represented on there.

We are happy to send out a proper CD version free to anyone who is interested.  Just send me a PM.

Don't expect any Jem-style stunning production or jaw-dropping technique - we're just 2 middle-aged blokes with limited equipment and even more limited talent having fun creating our own music.  But if anyone else gets any enjoyment out of it, well, that's a bonus!  

Cheers

DS

Seems unlikely given recent events, but just received an email notification from Ents24 regarding a Yes concert in Manchester on 22 November.  OK, I thought, that'll be the current line-up touring the US, with Benoit David and Oliver Wakeman.  But what it states is:-
"One of the defining classic rock bands of the 70s combining complex compositions with outrageously intricate instrumentation. The band is back with one of their most powerful and influential line-ups - Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe and Alan White - and celebrate their 35 year anniversary in 2004."

http://www.ents24.com/web/event/1771973 ... D=00210702

Is this an old quote they've borrowed from 2004 and lazily not updated, getting people's hopes up in the process or have they really all kissed and made up?  As there is nothing on the Yes website, I suspect the former unfortunately...  

Someone was suggesting over on the It Bites forum that John Beck should get one of these for Screaming On The Beaches, etc, but with Jem's Roland connections, I think someone else is another prime candidate...  

http://www.roland.co.uk/synth_room_catd ... id=AXSynth

...or is Batchain party to some information regarding the new Frost* live drummer that I haven't seen elsewhere?

http://www.itbites.com/forum/viewtopic. ... &start=225

Steve Hughes, eh?  He's on the Kino DVD in that post-Maitland / pre-Dalton era.  Good choice, if that's correct.

Brilliant!  The people who produced this design were either very naive or having a laugh!

I was in Edinburgh for a meeting today so popped into the HMV in Princes Street at lunchtime.  Thought I would see if they had any Frost*, expecting the answer to be no.  Wrong!  3 special edition copies and 1 standard of EIMA on display.  No Milliontown but still, not bad.  They also had a copy of It Bites' The Tall Ships so a big DS gold star to HMV for services to recent prog.  

Anyone else found EIMA on the High Street yet?

PS - EIMA SE was £16 and standard was £15 so you'd be better off supporting the Frost* shop - it's cheaper and puts more money towards its creators!

Hmmm - not so much taking the p*** as giving it.

PS - I've just discovered there appears to be no word substition on this forum!  No haddock...

Mmm, cookies!  Me like cookies!

Can we start a new round of questions yet?