Day 88
Sunday December 28
Despite getting to bed at ridiculous O’Clock this morning – 5am – and despite the fact that I’m in work today at 12, I wake up at sometime between 9 and 10am with last night’s events ringing round my head. They just keep going and won’t let go. That’s it. No need for an alarm. No need for more sleep. No thoughts of lying in until I feel ready to get up. No. All I can think of is the solo I was thrown into last night and how things can be done differently next time. I just have to get up and go have a look at that.
I don’t want to go too technical, but I jump straight out of bed, power on the computer and drag the bass out of its case. I think it’s more sleepy than I am. Well, of course it is. I’m suddenly wide awake. There’s only one thing on my mind. Autumn Leaves, the modes within it and how they can be used to solo. What mode goes with what chord? Could that be the key to breaking the solo? I’ve done it before. It was a good few months ago when I did it last but I did it. I have a go at that, very slowly, and mess about with soloing through the chords. It starts to come back.
Then I forget all about that because something else happens. Very very suddenly. For the past week I’ve been trying to play continuous arpeggios, that is going from one chord to the next by playing the nearest available note which means not necessarily the root note of the next chord. It has been very difficult going. But then a switch suddenly flips and a whole new world of possibilities opens up in front of me. Way back in May I developed a technique to play all the chords in a scale without changing hand position. I thought it was a fun/challenging little exercise. But now, out of the blue, I see a use for it. Once you know how to play all the chords like that, you can just interchange between them and, whether you’re hitting root notes or not is of no consequence at all. I don’t quite hit soloing territory but I’ve found a huge area on which it could happen. Everything is there. It’s quite a bizarre comparison but all I can think of is Marconi discovering radiowaves and dismissing them as a novelty, something to have a play with after a few drinks or whatever. Not something that could actually be used for anything. Well, that’s how I’ve always felt about this little exercise. Until now. Really not a bad before work shed.
Day 89
Monday December 29
Today I discover that someone of my acquaintance is quite a major music player. He’s a band manager of quite a few up and coming and happening UK and international acts. I’ll put it this way. When a certain pretty huge American band comes to town, the singer doesn’t stay in a hotel. He stays in this person’s house. I guarantee you would know the band if I told you.
The thing is, the person I know just wants to hang out. He doesn’t want to be bothered with work stuff or people coming up to him talking about this or that about music. He’s just hanging out with the boys and that’s it. He and I have had some really fun chats with nothing to do with music. And I’ve decided that’s how it has to stay. We know a lot of the same people. I’m sure sooner or later he’ll discover what I do. Maybe he already knows. I have no idea. But rather than push me to get to know this guy better, this new information is more likely to lead me to become more distant because the last thing I want is for him to think I’m ingratiating myself. No. This really is a time to play it cool.
I discover all this in a late night drinking session. I’m with the boys from work and we’re just closing up. We’re standing at the corner of the bar. All the lights are off and the only illumination left is coming from the beer taps giving a slightly epic quality to the conversation.
In this environment, we start talking about the possibilities of London. It’s me, Kieron and Dan, the songwriter I mentioned not long back. Kieron starts talking about the possibility of extra work. You know, adverts and small films and the like. Or big films come to think of it. Why not? I signed up to one when I was in Madrid. Not because I had any ambitions to be an actor or extra but because there was always the promise of a big payday and because native English extras or ‘actors’ were often needed. And think about it. You’re an actor. Madrid, or any non English country is not really the place you think about going. So film production companies there will take what they can get if they’re looking for someone who’s native English. Well, I never got anything and there’s absolutely no reason I should have done, but there were a few interesting auditions. So I have a little experience. With Kieron’s prompting here, and the fact that he’s brought it up, all of a sudden this seems like something I might want to sign up for in London. Apart from a very welcome income boost, you never know who you might meet on one of those things. I mean, three of The Corrs were extras in The Commitments and look where they ended up. They actually met their manager as a direct result of being in that film. It’s during this conversation that we get to talking about the difference between what people say they do and what they actually do; the main point here, according to Kieron, is the huge amount of people in London claiming to be actors and models when they’ve never been anywhere near either but are just trying to get there. I put my hand up. “Guys,” I say, “I know I say I’m a bass player but I admit the truth is that at the moment I’m a waiter.” The comeback is spontaneous. Kieron and Dan loudly denounce that and say, almost in unison, “No. You’re a professional bass player.” OK. I won’t argue.
Day 90
Tuesday December 30
Just a thought today. With the idea of going to jams on the days I have off, I realise this gives me very little opportunity to catch up with friends who live in London, or to see friends when they visit London as happened again this week. Twice actually with Madrid friends. With both of them, I was just unable to get my agenda to match, jam sessions or no jam sessions. With all this in mind, I decide that if I’m going to be able to keep up with anyone, it’s going to have to be lunches. Unless they want to meet in darkest Camden sometime past midnight.
Day 91
Wednesday December 31
I’m well aware these are the big payday days for professional musicians but for now I’m just keeping working. I remember back in Ireland in a band I was in, for just the one week or so around Christmas and new year, every member made over €1000. But really, I’m not thinking about any of that. I really am just glad to have a job and to be busy. But I discover there are worse places to spend new year’s eve than working in a busy bar/restaurant. It really is a fun night with all the staff dressed up from the 1980s. No pictures I’m afraid but I end up looking like an extra from Saved By The Bell. This bit of fun goes on until about 4am. Then…
Day 92
Thursday January 1
Did I mention I was back in work today at 12pm? And that I’m going to be on until the bar closes? No? I must have forgotten that. Just like I forget to reset my alarm when it goes off at about 11. A little later, my phone buzzes with a Facebook message from Jenn in Madrid. Although at that time I don’t know it’s from Jenn. Instead, the buzzing wakes me up, I look at the phone and see the time. 11:52. Balls balls balls balls balls. I’m up immediately, dressed so quickly I’m surprised it all goes on the right way round, and on the road. I arrive at the bar less than 5 minutes late and really, no-one seems to notice or care so that’s that bit sorted. Everyone’s nursing their hangovers but I’ve not had time to get one of those yet. Instead, I’m settling myself in for what I’ve been told all week will be a nice quiet, easy day. To that effect, I’m in the restaurant on my own. All day. But then at 12:30 a table of four comes in. Followed by another then another and yet another. I’m turning round and seeing people all sat down and settled who I hadn’t even seen walk in. The other staff are noticing it too with something like disbelief. Without hesitation, Dru, the boss, joins me in the restaurant. At first it’s a case of him helping out while I’m overrun. But it soon becomes apparent this isn’t going to stop and he stays for the entire day doing everything any other floor staff member would do. It really is a great piece of mucking in and hugely appreciated by me. And that’s how I spend new year’s day. The two of us manning a restaurant until 9pm that more and more resembles something out of the film Zulu. For the last hour or so, when it’s all over and I’m just cleaning up, until sitting down and having a massively deserved pint before going home, all I can do is make quiet relief-filled swears.
It’s around this time that I discover that this new year’s day has done nearly five times as much business as last new year’s day. Why? No-one knows. And no. I really haven’t had any time to have a hangover.
Day 93
Friday January 2
I’m working again today. 5:30pm this time but is it any surprise to hear that very little gets done in the hours before setting off?
But tonight is mercifully quiet and around 11pm I realise I can easily get out of here before midnight and head off to Troy Bar. The restaurant’s all closed and there’s hardly anyone in the bar. So I’m asked what the hell I’m doing still hanging around. With that I take my cue to leave and go home.
Once there, I run a very quick check on the internet on that brief stop home but all the website has is the usual every Friday night jam. There’s no update for whether it’s happening tonight or not. It can’t hurt to check. And if nothing is happening musicwise, maybe I’ll have the chance to hang out with one or two of the Troy regulars and get myself a little more known in the process. And if the place is closed altogether, I’ll do the same in the nearby bars. This is, afterall, prime creative people territory. Less than five minutes home and I’ve got my bass ready and I’m out the door.
When I arrive, I get a London first. I see someone I played with at another jam session. So finally the connections between them are starting to happen. It’s one of the guitarists from Troyganic. I know it’s only round the corner, but even so. I come round behind him and give him a little nudge on the shoulder. As I do, he turns around with his hand all ready for shaking. And that’s when I notice an immediate difference in this environment. In most places where someone gets a tap on the shoulder, it’s, “Who are you?” Here, they’re ready to shake the guy’s hand before they even know who it is. Once he sees who it is, he’s like, “Oh, you’re the guy from last week. Great to see you here.” That little introduction made, I turn round and there’s Milan, the four year guitarist who comes and mixes it up with the big boys. Although I’ve not been here for a while, he tells me I’ve probably only missed one session. So that’s good to know. Still, it does feel, with working those Fridays, that I’ve been away a while.
That’s confirmed when I head into the main room where the houseband is up and running. David’s on keys tonight. When he looks up and sees me, he pulls a huge face of surprise which also says, ‘Great to see you.’ It’s quite a fun moment actually.
After that, the main guy James starts to take names for the jam session and I go to see him and get a huge handshake and a ‘happy new year.’ Then, when he starts calling names, I’m the second bass player on. Not only that, but this time I’m playing with David who’s now switched to drums. And damn, he’s as good as anyone I’ve seen in here. It’s around this point that James playfully starts telling the crowd how much he hates David. You see, earlier on he was playing trumpet so he really seems to have everything covered. In fact, I don’t think he touches the bass all night.
As we start, the guitarist sings me a riff to double up with him. It’s a famous 70s funk riff but can’t remember what song it is. I recognise it but I’ve never played it before. I play what he’s just sung and he’s, ‘Yeah. That’s it. What key do you have it in?’ I tell him, carry on playing it and he kicks in. Me, him and David build and rise this thing and I start to groove it with the actual main riff acting as a refrain. During all this, a trombone player jumps up and starts giving it big time. Taking a breath, he stops, turns to me and shouts, “Great grooves man.” Thankyou very much.
We play another song, I take a solo and we’re done. Cool. As I take my bass off, I get a big handshake and a well done from the next bass player to take my place. He asks me my name and I get his – Terry Smiles. I’ve just googled him. He only played with Michelle from Destiny’s Child. Bloody hell.
Tonight I start to feel I’m getting a pretty decent handle on the place. Who’s who, who knows who, that kind of thing. Not totally deep into how it all works but enough to see that some of these guys have been around a long time and quite possibly went to college together or have played gigs around the place together. There are also some guys who feel more free to wander about the stage than others. I mean, I don’t think it would really fly if I took off my bass and then headed over to have a play on the bongos. But there are people who do. And David just seems to get up and play whatever he wants whenever he wants. Then you have James who will go up to various musicians and scat with them. And the occasional bass player who’ll go up more than once in a night. Yes. This is clearly a community with links that go out and beyond Friday night at the Troy bar. So right now, I’ll settle for the fact I’m just able to get up there whenever I turn up.
Come kicking out time with a slightly less populated bar, the trombone player comes up to me and says, “That was some great groove playing you were doing up there.” Then he continues, “If you ever need a horn section, give me a call.” With that he gives me his card. Someone giving me their card like that. Another first. I tell him thanks a lot and give him mine. We’re in a bit of a melee with people swarming all around and bouncers trying to get people out so that’s as far as the conversation goes.
When I get home, I send him an email saying it was great to meet him and play with him and will probably catch him at another jam night sometime. So now there’s a little more contact made with a musician on the scene.