Recent Deviance

Forgive me father, it's been months since my last blog...

Well, the year is finally winding down and the demands of work are lessening gradually. Darrel and I are looking forward to getting back into writing and recording after many missed opportunities these last few weeks. The flu that conquered Darrel some weeks back has now sunk its talons in me, but I hope to shake it in time for the weekend. I apologise if my typing is a little adenoidal.

Although we've not been writing and recording much we have been gigging a fair bit. Since we last spoke we have played (among other gigs) a party, two outdoor gigs and a couple of stints at the San Francisco Bath House, including the recent Acoustic Alchemy '09 Volume II: Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Back To The Bar.

AA09II:JWYTIWSTGBTTB (not the most catchy of acronyms) was a great gig, thanks once again to the efforts of Mr. Pete Baillie. The line-up was packed to the rafters with talent, and ran as follows:

5pm - The Doylees
5.30pm - Kim Potter
6pm - Claire Terry
6.30pm - Josh Mason
7pm - Megan McCarthy
7.30pm - The Gracious Deviants
8pm - Jodie Gummer

The Doylees were a five-piece, normally electric group, who played a kind of Dylan-esque alt-rock with three guitars, bass and drums. Their lead guitarist was denied his wah pedal due to some sort of malfunction but more than made up for it by swapping his guitar for a tambourine and wandering outside for a cigarette and then a pint at the bar in the middle of one song, all the while keeping time with the band! Despite technical difficulties and teething problems with the sound, the Doylees' confidence and humour prevailed over all.

Kim Potter played next, a man of many talents and at least two distinct personalities: comedian and songwriter. Kim Potter the songwriter has a fine voice and a great gift for songwriting, and though his appearance on stage was much more low key than the raucousness of the previous act, his talent and his confidence and self-assurance kept your attention throughout the set. He has a new album out, and it is definitely worth checking out on his website. You can check out Kim Potter, comedian AKA Vinyl Burns here.

Claire Terry's set was full of strong, dynamic, and emotional songs. Her sound was highly-charged with big, percussive guitarwork and a soulful alto voice. In addition to her songwriting Claire is also the owner of funky Wellington fashion boutique Madame Fancy Pants, and, therefore, was perhaps the most stylishly presented performer of the night.

Josh Mason may have taken to the stage in a borrowed hat with a borrowed guitar, but he brought all his own material with him. Choosing to sit and play, Josh talked about his whole set before playing it, so as to save time between songs. I guess that's logical...? He played and sang in a contemporary pop style, relaxed and comfortable, and well received by those flocking the front of the stage.

Megan McCarthy, AKA Rosé, took to the stage next with her band featuring Pete Baillie on bass. After minor feedback issues Rosé launched into a confidently-crafted set of songs from ballads to more uptempo numbers - even a rocking sing-along! While Megan shifted between acoustic and electric and acoustic guitar, the rest of the band, drums, keys and bass, kept a solid backing to her strong, well-trained, soulful voice.

Darrel and I played next. The heat of the evening, and the excitement of the gig meant a few cold beverages passed my lips between the start of the gig and when we were due to perform, and I took to the stage a little more relaxed than usual. I should have been more nervous, this was our first gig since Darrel got his voice back. The last couple of gigs I had had to take all of the vocal duties because Darrel's flu had stolen his voice and replaced it with that of an asthmatic wolf. However, tonight we were once again firing on all cylinders, and with an abundant supply of alcoholic lubrication we played a strong set to a very appreciative audience.

Jodie Gummer was last to play, and a fitting finale to an evening of great music. Jodie is a great performer, the strength and power of her voice belies her years, and is a refreshing change from the weak nasal Disney-fied twang of many popular female singers of her generation. Her guitar work was a fine accompaniment to her voice in a set comprising original material and a cover of a contemporary R'n'B pop tune, the title of which escapes me.

We left the venue in high spirits, a successful night for one and all. For The Gracious Deviants, as always, it was curry time....

The Vault updated... again.

I've gone all webby again and redesigned the Vault with a more compact and cleaner design template.

The site now contains a short biography of the band, some links to NZ music sites as well as links to this blog and our MySpace page.

Check it out here

GIG UPDATES

A C O U S T I C A L C H E M Y

Starts 6pm, Saturday 29th August.

The San Francisco Bath House, Cuba Street, Wellington.

Entry $5 at the door

Acoustic Alchemy is a showcase of the best of the Acoustic Lounge nights this year, featuring:-

• Mara Simpson
• The Gracious Deviants
• Vorn
• Pisces
• Jodie Gummer
• The Charcoal White

The Gracious Deviants & Guests

at The Fringe Bar

Starts 7pm, Thursday 3rd September

The Fringe Bar, cnr. Vivian and Cuba Streets, Wellington.

Entry by koha (donation)

The Gracious Deviants are supported by two local bands:-

The DuFresnes - an acoustic trio, and

Highly Unlikely - a four-piece acoustic ensemble.

This will be a night of excellent original acoustic music. We will be playing an extended set of old favourites and new material as yet unheard on the Wellington stage.

See you there!

Acoustic Lounge 26th August

This just in...

We're playing a warm-up gig at the Acoustic Lounge on Wednesday 26th in preparation for Acoustic Alchemy this Saturday.

We're playing the middle slot starting 6:30pm, but be there from 6pm to catch the whole show.

New gigs and new recording

We have two gigs coming up:

A C O U S T I C A L C H E M Y

The Best of the Acoustic Lounge 2009

San Francisco Bath House

Cuba Street

Wellington

Saturday 29th August

6pm - 9pm

We will be playing a half hour set alongside the best performers from this years crop at the Acoustic Lounge hosted, as always, by the inimitable Pete Baillie.

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An As Yet Un-Named Gig Featuring The Gracious Deviants and Friends

(Not to worry, we'll think of something clever soon)

The Fringe Bar

cnr Cuba and Vivian Streets

Wellington

Thursday 3rd September

7pm

Supported by the band Highly Unlikely, we will be playing a longer set for those who like a little more Gracious Deviants in their diet (98.3% RDI. Gracious Deviants should be consumed responsibly and as part of a healthy diet.)

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Also, we have finished the bulk of recording for Still Got a Hold on You, and I'm currently mixing it. This weekend we'll look at additional bits and bobs, but I hope to have the track finished soon. We're adding drums and bass to this one too, and it's sounding pretty good so far (if I may say so myself).

Catch you soon!

New Song: I See

We have a new song on our MySpace page! It's called I See and is a staple of our current live set. This is a studio version recorded at Darrel's some months ago and only just finished mixing at my place last night.

These days as we write new material we have begun to shift our focus beyond what Darrel and I are capable of recreating live and have started to think more about arrangement, and what we might be able to achieve in the studio and eventually on an album.

Our primary goal is still to be able to play everything we write live, and we make sure that we're not up there just playing the same chords, but some of our songs feel like they deserve a little bit more.

Consequently I've added some drums and bass to the new song. It's a kind of country-fried uptempo number with a stomping beat that we couldn't quite do justice to on guitars alone.

I See is a good-humoured upbeat song, no real story or message, it's a vignette inspired by a typical Wellington Summer day at the beach (i.e. sunny but windy and a little cold).

Hope you like it!

Review: Acoustic Routes 26th July 2009

On the 4th Sunday of every month the Wellington Folk Centre gathers for Acoustic Routes, a concert featuring both club members and invited guests. Last Sunday Darrel and I were invited to play a "floor spot", or short set in support of the main act of the night, singer songwriter Helen Dorothy.

These were untested waters for The Gracious Deviants, we did not know what to expect. We turned up to Toi Poneke, the Wellington Arts Centre, and found our way to an innocuous white concrete room at the back of the building - it was like walking into a tutorial at University - with a small raised stage, rows of seats and a backcloth draped over the back wall.

The room was filling fast and Darrel and I secured ourselves a seat once we had made ourselves known as performers - kind of pointless, the guitar cases gave it away. We didn't know anybody, it was Annie who had spoken with Mary the current president and got us the gig, so we were feeling a little shy.

The evening began with Mary introducing the performers and outlining the night's entertainment. At this point I will have to apologise that I can only remember a few of the performers' names.

After a few hitches, including a drummer somewhere else in the building choosing this of all times to start practising, the first performer launched into his set. He played a skilful finger-style guitar and sang with a rough baritone songs of Celtic and English heritage, the crowd joining a line here, a chorus there.

The most striking thing about the evening for us, even at that early stage, was also the most obvious: Everyone in that room had come to listen. How often have we played to audiences in bars and venues only to come away with the feeling that no-one really heard what we'd played? This audience had turned up to hear music, and sat in respectful silence, nodded their heads or tapped their feet, and were not backwards about showing their appreciation.

As the first performer finished and Darrel and I scuttled off to pick up our guitars I was nervous, worried that we wouldn't fit in, we'd be too "pop". So we get up on stage, are introduced and warmly applauded by an audience keen to hear what we have to play. What was I worrying about? I don't remember...

Folk music is an umbrella term encompassing many styles from as many places as there are folk. The great thing about folk music is that it is the music of people - at its heart are the stories people want to share with one another - the music is as much a method of conveyance as a part of the story itself, as is the performer.

When we write songs I like to build characters and situations and tell stories - I think because haven't quite mastered adequate "ooh baby baby, yeah baby baby" (formerly known as "Moon in June") skills. How then, does the music we write differ from folk music? It doesn't. Still trying to remember what it was I was worried about...

We played The Thought of You, Still Got a Hold on You, and Falling, and we folked the house, baby. It was one of our most satisfying performances, completely unplugged in a venue with surprisingly good acoustics. I loved it.

They applauded us on stage, kept going as we walked off stage, and carried on right until we left the room to drop off our guitars. Good golly.

The next act were a double bass, played by Richard Prowse, accompanied by another man on guitar (once again, my apologies for the lack of names!). Richard Prowse is a very talented player, embracing his bass to play high up on the neck - fingers of iron, fist of steel (it's bloody difficult to play high notes on a double bass!) - coaxing extraordinary notes from the woodwork.

The final act before the main event was another soloist on steel and nylon string guitar who played a "muddley" of South American music, then led the crowd on a chorus song about a wayward teenage daughter, her suspicious mother, and dismissive father, before bringing Mr. Prowse and his bass back on stage for a blues number.

After a short break where Darrel and I mixed with the audience over tea and bikkies, Helen Dorothy took to the stage. Instead of attempting to capture her performance here, I urge you to have a listen for yourself - she has a CD out that you can preview here.

Rather than consult a set list, Helen simply introduced each song with a little story, certain details or themes linking loosely with those of the preceding or following songs. She is originally from England with an Australian mother and English father, and has travelled extensively soaking up stories and experiences, some of which she has set to music.

She has a delicate and fluttering, harmonious touch on the guitar, and a soft keening soprano voice to complement her stories. A stand out song for me was Eucalyptus Man, an adaptation of a novel about a eucalyptus plantation and girl unhappy that her husband shall be chosen for her.

The night ended with thunderous applause and the possibility of another gig for us sometime in the near future. What better way to round off a Sunday night!