DS also filmed me singing, “Lost & Broken”, one of the songs we’re in the process of recording for the new Big Ray album. I was joined for this one by my old friend, Dave Turner, who kindly offered to play mandolin on a few songs during the set.
Ed playing the old Sink track, “Slipping Through My Hands” at a gig in Cambridge last year. David Stuart was on dual camera, mime and duet duties :-)
We went to see ‘The Croods’ at the Rebel Cinema
Archive Sink recording of the Kiss song, “Cold Gin”. Vocals - Laurence Bell, Guitar - Ed Wenn, Bass - Paul Duncan, Drums - John Howie. Backing vocals by the band and Colin Solloway. Engineered by Martin Hawkes. Recorded in London 1989. I think we recorded this for a Kiss comp that Ray Ahn was putting together. Not sure that we made the cut.
Watch this space for more details, but it seems Billy No Mates will be playing a one-off in Nottingham on Tuesday May 21st supporting the mighty No Means No. HDQ are also on the bill.
Some photos from recent recording sessions for the Big Ray album with John Ruscoe (guitar), Steve Cox (keyboards and Theremin) and me on acoustic guitar.
I’ve squeezed onto the bill of an acoustic evening at The New Inn, Canterbury on Saturday 16th Feb. I’m on first at around 8PM followed by 7 Day Conspiracy and then Duncan Redmonds.
What’s not to like?
We did some more Big Ray recording last week. Hurrah! Rich and I hit the studio to get to grips with the album’s ‘Problem Child’ song, “Attica”….and guess what? Things worked out really, really well. We now have a finished backing track and I now just need to re-do the vocals and we have another one in the can and ready to mix. Here’s a snap of Rich laying down some bottom end emotion.
A number of people have been asking for a sniff of the new Big Ray material. Normally I’m very reluctant to show my hand (as it were) before a song is finished and mixed, but seeing as how this album is taking longer (about 2 years longer!) to record than I first thought and also seeing as how this particular song stands up reasonably well without any overdubs, I figured I could get away with posting this very early days, work-in-progress, one-man-and-his-guitar version of one of the new Big Ray tracks.
It’s called “The Man Behind The Man” and this version features just me singing and playing guitar. I’m hoping to get some bass, percussion, backing vocals, lead guitar and maybe piano on eventually.
NOTE: I keep forgetting that a lot of old punks are parents themselves these days and so it’s worth pointing out that this song has proper swearing in it which you might want to know about in advance if you were going to play it to (or in front of) your kids.
Duncan’s putting on a gig at The Grosvenor in London (17 Sidney Road, Stockwell, London, SW9 0TP) this Sunday, 21st October. There’s a table tennis bash on beforehand (starts at 2PM) and the music’s on from 6PM. I’ll be on-stage from 7PM with Paul Duncan (Big Ray, Sink, Chocolate, K-Line) joining in on uke for a few songs.
Alex from Wonk Unit will be on before us and Duncan himself and the amazing Five Shitty Fingers are also playing….there will almost certainly be others too. It’s looking like a great night and it’s only £3 to get in.
In addition to the Billy No Mates set at The Corner House in Cambridge on Sept 8th, I’ll also be doing an acoustic set earlier in the day with my old buddy Dave Turner helping out on mandolin on a few songs.
Dave and I will be kicking things off at 5PM so please get there early if you want to see the set. Billy No Mates will be onstage at 11.20PM…by which time I’m sure everyone will be either very drunk or at home, but them’s the breaks.
Billy No Mates: September 2012
- Friday 7th: Fighting Cocks, Kingston
- Saturday 8th: The Corner House, Cambridge
- Sunday 9th: Actress & Bishop, Birmingham
Click on the flyers above to see the images larger.
Duckpin
You Me & The EBT
House At Wilson
I Envy You
C.A.R.
Chocolate
Beautiful Ghosts
So Unfair
Funny Bloke
Buzzing
Mefloquine Dreams
Be Lucky
Iron Days
Selfish
Autumn Sweater (Yo La Tengo cover)
Ink
Where Did It All Go Wrong
Shadowplay (Joy Division cover)
Listening back to these songs for the first time in many years I find I’m incredibly proud of this album and struck by how much it still means to me years down the line. I can’t believe how lucky I was to be able to record these songs with so many amazing people. Special thanks to Roop & Michael Hampton for helping me get it sounding so bloody good.
NOTE: I still have plenty of copies of this album on CD and will gladly ship them to you for the cost of postage. If you want one just get in touch.
More of an experiment than a serious piece, this is a short time-lapse segment of Rich and Ed recording guitars for the new Big Ray album at the Matthews Rock Shack. Filmed on a Nokia N8 phone and edited in Windows Live Movie Maker. Now that I know it works, I’ll make sure it’s more interesting next time :-)
Big Ray is playing a gig! This will be the first one in about 12 years. The line up for this auspicious occasion will be me on guitar, Paul Duncan on bass/uke/harmonica, James Sherry on brushes and John Ruscoe popping up on a few numbers to steal the glory with some smokin’ lead breaks :-)
We’re on the bill as the last minute opening act at The Portland Arms in Cambridge for Ashley and Chris Marling at one of their Ciarafest events. The gig is on Wednesday 23rd May and we’ll be onstage at around 8pm. I’m hoping that with James interested in helping out on drums, we can start playing a few of these low-key/busking events.
