Just to confirm....

I will not be playing The Victoria in Henley again.

I thank you.

The Lee Aaron Band - The Fox & Hounds

Friday nights sonic adventure was with pure drumming sensation Lee Aaron at Church Crookham's #1 rock venue, the Fox & Hounds. Now as many of your eager listeners will recognise, this very venue was the centrepiece location to the Disney classic animated feature of the same name! So with this in mind, it was the perfect location for some rock, of the classic stroke modern and Guilty Party variety.

I was initially worried that due to the pressures of my busy day, I may not be able to 'get in' one of my famous naps. These very naps are as much of the rock process as re-stringing your guitar or drinking multiple diet cola's! (not Chudley compliant). It was literally 'touch and go' as I did not think that it was going to happen! But to everyone's relief, a veritable 30 winks took place, and people all over the land breathed a sigh of sheer relief.

As you would know from the film, the pub is a good drive down the M3 and in quite a remote location. Luckily they seem to draw in a hearty crowd full of people who really want to enjoy pure drumming!

Also in our favour this evening was a dual sister based 30th birthday affair, which swelled our numbers and gave the Big Man the ability to stretch his famous Frontman antics.

It was actually a nice stage area to play in, and the Landlord had even laid on some stage lighting which really does make a difference! Sadly, thanks to an architectural errata, Tricky Ral (the bass) was forced to perform behind some kind of pillar affair, which did impede his rocking 20 to 28%.

The gig itself was a 'hoot' with our music going down very well with everyone listening. Opening with our first song, and closing with the traditional 'fast one / slow one / both', we had people smiling quite a lot indeed.

Lee was very pleased with his pork scratchings, though this did not stop some kind of snare drum agenda which I understand is actually illegal.

With Led Zeppelin suggestions made, I soon packed up Weavel, had a 'laugh' with the 'boys' and I was soon on my merry way to my homestead.

The Victoria Henley..... oh dear....

Rough Justice Unplugged

The first single from Rough Justice Unplugged 'Hidden Secrets & Memories'

fREAKJAM - The Rising Sun

A day early I hear you cry! Yes! A shockwave has been heard all over the nation as in a WoC exclusive the fREAKY-O-jAM report is being posted a day early! Fear not, the end of the world is not nigh! Its simply the way it goes when the moon is in its crescent form.

Well, settle down and rest and enjoy what I have to report, which is so much different to last week!

Firstly, the night began in the usual fashion, and I am pleased to report that everything you expect and demand happened in the correct order. I even managed to listen to some music of a questionable quality on the way to the jam, which is very pleasing indeed!

Tonight we were still without The Mighty Mammal, who was yet again still engaged with his charity work (which he does not like to talk about). So stepping in, literally with months of notice was Ed from Dutchland. Ed once again was sporting his new and fancy Mapex drumkit which sounded like the finest coffee shop!

A whole host of jam night celebrities in attendance this week, and I thank each and every one of your for your weekly support! Fine sets from George Kirchner and his band Fuze, Virginal White drumming sensation Lee Aaron, Lefty John, Bal, Ral, Johnny D and Holly. TToni Husbands made her triumphant jam night return with a number well executed songs. Dual Projekt were in 'the house' and treated us to some pretty fancy fretwork. The BSR boys were in the house, and were re-christened by Ian Jam 'The Cum Shot Boys' which dear readers is simply quite vulgar! Dave Bryce from Spider fame treated us to some tasty Telecaster licks, accompanied by a Strat laden colleague.

All in all a fine night full of antics, festivities and tomfoolery.

Pretend Pop Star Mark Chudley was in attendance, and 'handed over' a CD of listening pleasure.

The evening, as you would expect, ended with a traditional Adrian Purple Rain ending. I am sure Hog would have been gutted to hear that he missed this sonic masterpiece, performed in Slough for the first time, ever!

As I said my goodbyes, I was soon heading home and was tucked into my bed quicker than you can say 'Jack Rabbit'.

Two for Tuesday at Domino's!

Men Behaving Sadly - Some Pub

Saturday nights gig was with the mighty 'Men Behaving Sadly' at some pub, somewhere down the road. To be honest, I can't remember the full details but in the true spirit of the gig report I am not allowed to 'look up' the facts. Its a gig reporting law that always must be adhered to!

After a jaunt of approx 40 miles in Weavel, I soon arrived at the venue feeling relaxed and refreshed! A hearty supper of chicken based French stick and peaches had my belly full of fine faire ready for a night of classics!

Its been some time since I have played with MBS, and its always a pleasure to get 'some dates' in my diary. Tonight was very special indeed, as it featured a 'quad' Music Man Axis showdown! Something that no doubt would inspire multiple threads on the Ernie Ball forum!

Sadly, the evening was not that well attended, though the associated show more than made up or it! Highlights included Russell unveiling the mysterious and secret pre-set names on my pedal board, and a corking jam with a friend of the band who joined us for a few 'numbers'.

The drummer (who was a dep, may I add) fronted the band for a couple of tracks with some fine Paul Rogers inspired vocals. A real musical diversion creating a fine sonic scene!

As the evening came to a close, there was much disappointment, anger, loathing and swear words which was a shame. Simply promises were not kept and that's not nice.

So with only minimal loathing on my part, I headed home to my bed.

Its eBay tastic!

The Lee Aaron Band - The Coppid Beech Bracknell

Friday nights gig was with pure as the driven snow drumming sensation Lee Aaron at Bracknell's #1 nightclub cum bar/restaurant that is in the basement of a hotel, The Bier Keller.

I have been playing at the Bier Keller with various bands for over 40 years, so its always a pleasure to make that M3 stroke A329 'jaunt' to all things Coppid.

As is regulation with these things, a Friday nap was 'in order' and indeed achieved! As we all know, these kind of Friday afternoon naps are synonymous with all hard rockers over the years. From Led Zeppelin to Ozzy Osbourne, and to the current crop of metal bands such as Metallica and Saliva - they can all be found tucked up in their beds on a Friday afternoon for 40 winks prior to rocking!

So feeling refreshed with a hearty supper in my belly, I was soon 'on the road' with Weavel and setting about setting up.

Fridays tend to be a quieter night at the Bier Keller, and I was disappointed that there were not many 'covers' in the restaurant. This caused minimal distress for me, though thankfully minimal loathing. DJ Sugar was on the decks, who has been a supporter of Lee since he was a nipper.

Lee Aaron Band part one was a bit of a subdued affair, and even the sheer power of the Big Man could not coax the assembled into some kind of drum fuelled frenzy! Luckily, Lee Aaron Band part two was much better attended, and our special delicate house blend of rock and Guilty Party whipped the crowd into a veritable fever! Closing our set with our ending song was a masterstroke genious, and it had people singing and chanting for more!

With old friends coming up say hello, and ear plugs still 'in situ' it was time to avoid the 'banging' housey housey music and make our excuses and leave.

One thing I forgot to mention is that our manager cum business partner Luke was in attendance. He is often tied up these days with his many businesses which he conducts mostly on his touch-screen Blackberry. I personally watched him overcharge U2 for a business class lounge and make a tidy sum! That said, I think he should try and get us some corporate work, which we are sorely lacking.

Rough Justice Unplugged! Literally the demo is 'in the bag!'

fREAKJAM The Rising Sun - Stoner Brief Appearance Edition

Good evening to all our our reg-ular readers, and welcome to the weekly instalment of what goes down in Slough! Yes Slough! The epicentre of everything jam-ular! Hang on to your wigs and keys, the report starts here!

Now, in a real turn of events, I am pleased to announce Weavel was loaded, a trip was made along the M4 and equipment was set up! I am saddened to report that SiJ did not meet me in the FtA approved waiting stroke parking location which caused me some minimal distress I can tell you!

Now lets get into the main 'meat' of this report, what went down jam wise!

First things first I must congratulate Magic Mike, The Great Stonodo for his record breaking jam night appearance! In the British history of jam sessions never has somebody made such a quick appearance! He literally came in, grabbed my zenith Fender Telecaster mid song, rocked hard and then left! He even was able to perform one of his famous chair standing maneuvers complete with over long solo! It was a veritable rock triumph, and something that will go down in rock history for many years to come!

The Mighty Mammal was not in attendance tonight, as he was busy with his charity work (which he does like to talk about) so Ed from Dutchland was 'behind the kit'. He was also touting a brand new drum kit, which was very shiny indeed!

Now with the shock and excitement of this major Stoner music event I almost forgot about the rest of our jam colleagues who were in attendance, and what a fine selection were on offer!

In attendance were Johnny D and the BSR Boys, a couple of girls, Virginal drumming sensation Lee Aaron, Bal, Lefty John, Acoustic guitar bloke, bloke with a Pacificia, Roy (not playing capacity), to name nearly all of them.

Daft from Frontman Graeme was in a special drumming capacity tonight which amazed and dumbfounded us in equal measure!

Pretend Pop Star Mark Chudley was in attendance and was in a rare playing capacity. He even played his famous reading of 'Oasis' and even rip-roaring version of 'Planet'! I had the honour of being part of the guitar-swap antics!

The evening ended with the traditional Adrian 'Purple Rain' ending, something which I know Hog really likes to hear about!

With a fine Chudley chat completed, I headed home safe and sound listening to Riley Martin!

Backup tastic!

Caesar's Gigging Advice

In a new segment in the show, I would like to pass on some of my knowledge that I have accumulated from my years 'on the road'.

Tonight's instalment I will cover equipment.

Firstly guitars.

- Always buy a light guitar. Don't believe all that nonsense about heavy guitars giving a better tone. A light guitar is better for your back! And I should know!

- Give single coils the wide birth. They buzz like mad, and sound really thin. Two Humbuckers is all that you will ever need. Something like a Music Man Axis, Les Paul, Humbucker laden Telecaster would be perfect. SG's are ok but they are terribly neck heavy.

- Fit Graphtech string saver saddles on all your guitars. They don't change the sound all that much, but you hardly ever break strings.

- Use GHS Boomers strings. They are the best! If you can't get GHS Boomers, 2nd choice is D'addario.

- Tremelo bars are a nightmare and should be avoided at all costs. These 'wobblers' cause your guitar to go out of tune and offer no benefits other than aeroplane noises. If your guitar is blighted with one of these 'out of tune sticks', get the bridge fixed or blocked up.

- Always get your guitars fixed at Charlie Chandlers Guitar Experience in Hampton Wick. 020 8973 1441

- Avoid boutique pickups as for the most part they are overpriced and offer no benefit over the regular brands. Bare Knuckles are not as good as guitar magazines tell you! Dimarzio make great pickups and the Tone Zone / Air Norton are the ones to get.

- Get picks made with your name on. Its cool, honest!

- Never use a guitar without Straplocks fitted. The Schaller ones are the best ones to buy

Cables / Pedals:

- Don't get sucked into 'Hi-Fi' guitar cables. They are a waste of money! £20 buys you all the guitar lead that you will ever need. The Cleartone cables from Award-Session are the best, and they use the excellent Neutrik self muting plugs. Award Session . If you cant get the Award-Session ones, Planet Waves make a good second best

- Always use soldered patch cables. The George L's ones you make yourself fall apart in about 5 minutes.

- Boutique pedals, and Keeley Modded pedals for the most part are a waste of money. Standard Boss and MXR ones are just fine. By the time you get a drummer bashing away there is no audible difference.

- Always bring plenty of mains cables with you.

Amps:

- For the most part, valve amps are a nightmare. Heavy, unreliable and costly to maintain. Try and find a transistor amp that will work for you. The zenith of all transistor amps is of course the Line 6 Duoverb. If you have to use a valve amp, avoid Marshall at all costs. Gone are the days when Marshall made good amps.

- 2 x 12" is the best size / sound compromise. Either a cab or a combo in this configuration will be fine for the smallest pub, or the largest stadium stage.

As a footnote to tonight's education lesson, one thing I would like to leave you with is spares. Always bring spares of everything to a gig. And I mean everything! Spare guitars, amps, cables, strings, tuners, pedals, you name it! When I gig I have at least two of everything.

Oh, get yourself ear plugs TODAY! ACS moulded ones are the ones to get.

I thank you...

Rough Justice Staines Riverside Club

Friday nights gig, was with the masters and champions of the rock covers scene, ROUGH JUSTICE at the Staines Riverside Club.

This gig was the penultimate Rough Justice gig, and the occasion was a private party to honour a birthday, the name of whom completely escapes me. But I will soldier on with this report never the less!

As Hog has already sold the RJ PA, the sound engineering and compression talents of WW Paul were on hand to make sure everything was 'running on all cylinders'.

As all you re-ular readers would expect, I started my Friday afternoon 'wind-down' with a rather splendid nap, which is what, Ladies and Gentlemen, rock is all about. Feeling all refreshed, I chomped down a delicious supper and soon I was making that 'nippy' and short journey to Staines. On the way I saw the Mighty Mammal's fine Astra but he decided to take a veritable 'detour' to purchase some beverages for the after show party. I on the other hand headed straight to Staines to await the arrival of the members which make up Britain's #1 pub covers rock band.

As everyone arrived and set up, we were almost ready to rock when it was noticed that someone was missing! And who was that certain someone I hear you ask? It was Magic Mike, The Great Stonodo! Luckily for us he was just 'caught up' in some kind of jam (or preserve) so we started without him and he soon arrived and set up his Duoverb and Music Man combination.

The evening had a real birthday flavour with a veritable 'finger buffet', though I am saddened to report the sheer lack of cake! I believe this is actually against a local by-law in Staines!

WW Paul joined us for the Rough Justice Part 1 finale, with a rip-roaring reading of 'All Right Now', that tired classic. He literally blew the roof of the place with his antics and compression!

Rough Justice Part 2 started with some familiar 'tunes' and ended with the regulation Freebird! Tonight's Freebird contained the famous '3-way' guitar swap, though I am saddened to announce that this is the last of this configuration that will be performed.

Magic Mike, The Great Stonodo was lucky enough to break a string tonight which made all of us quite envious I can tell you!

With our ears not ringing, we all headed home happy and safe and the like in equal measure. As it was 'Stern Friday' I enjoyed listening to Howard 100, which I found enjoyable and informative.

I love my flashed firmware!

Rant

I would like to rant about Virgin Radio.

Now, I have not listened to Virgin 1215 for years, in fact the last time I did, it was when the 'Russ & Jonno' breakfast show was on. Actually, to confirm, I have not listened to any UK radio for years and years, Virgin Radio or otherwise.

Sir Ian Jam asked me to 'tune in' as he was appearing on the Mr & Mrs competition and record his triumphant win for all eternity, so as a result I had to endure their broadcast for over an hour. And what an endurance test it was! Terrible terrible music, commercials every two minutes, weather, news all the time - practically un-listenable! And then there was the smarmy self absorbed presenters....pfffff!

I will not be listening again I am pleased to say!

By way of contradiction, having a subscription to Sirius XM I can tune into stations such as Howard 100, Hair Nation and 70's on 7 which provide excellent radio entertainment for all and sundry (for a nominal fee).

The local Band Scene Update!

Ian Jam on Virgin Radio 11th Feb 2010

fREAKJAM - The Rising Sun

Hello one and all and welcome to the weekly update of all things jam related!

This weeks report comes to you, as it does every week, from WoC Central, and I am pleased to report that my belly is full of fine steak! Taking full advantage of the '3 courses for £9.99' at the Twickenham Beefeater, I am full to the brim of fine red meat!

So with suppers consumed, its now time for the important task of the night - gig reporting! And what a bumper report I have for all of you out there in WoC land!

I have often been accused (mostly by Hog, may I add) of copy/pasting the gig report which, dear readers I have never done! So, exclusively, and for the first week ever I am going to call on a 'classic' report from December 17th 2005 and simply change a few names and places!

Please enjoy this trip down memory lane!

Thursday nights gig was with local Vision Express commercial scriptwriters the fREAKJAM Boys at the Rising Sun in Slough. Tonight started out with a good turn out of punters. When we started the fREAKJAM set section, there was a hearty selection of jammers. In fact, when the fREAKJAM boy's got going it soon filled up! But as we rocked out way through the set, the pub became fuller and fuller, until we had a critical mass on our hands!

I played the purple Music Man guitar, and despite the tone gods shining down like a beacon of hope, I was unable to get the ‘woooo’ feedback thing going on.

Highlight of the evening was Pretend Pop Star Mark Chudley (who was in attendance) and his associated 'Chudley Chat'.

With the zenith rhythm section in place, THWMIR and TNWMIR Gary Reece and I also banged (or bashed) our way though a rendition many fine songs!

All in all a great evening and good to see some old faces again. The Ken Malmsteen mutiny continues.