Diana Stones Blog

Not too bad a month so far a few good gigs and the sun is shining a little, so I am making the effort to take a little more exercise to help ease the back problems and stuff. Touching wood my back seems capable of withstanding regular accordion playing now so I am starting to work up a few more tunes on it, and its not seeming half so alien as it was at first. Its not an instrument to play after midnight on a quite night though as it kicks up a fair old racket that makes the violin seem quiet by comparison.

This year seems to be whizzing past at hell of rate thus far but with plenty of interesting stuff going on. I need to get back to the DR’s soon to see how the old bones are progressing as well. I am building up a bit more stamina but some of our duo gigs have been mini-marathons with often more than one encore. Once you have gone over the 2.5 hour mark it can get a bit knackering.

Saturday night we were at the Global Cafe in Reading. We do play one other venue in Reading regularly called the retreat but this was a new one for us with a younger audience than our usual demographic. We will be back there later in the year and its a really nice place to perform in. This year could be our buzyiest for gigs by the look of things mostly with the Delta Ladies. Doing a 2 hour plus show as a duo is quite demanding at times. We are also going to be putting some new material in to soon as well. So we need to learn that.

Currently we have two albums almost finished. One is the Elephant Shelf Album and the other is an album of swing standards. Once those are out of the way we need to start recording the Delta Ladies Album. Not much time to get bored by the look of things.

We will be back at one of our favorite gigs in a couple of weeks at the Bellvue in High Wycombe and strangely it will be coinciding with their beer festival. How spooky is that then

“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” (Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895)

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”
(Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943)

“There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home.” (Ken Olsen, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977)

“The telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” (Western Union internal memo, 1876) “Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value.” (Marshal Ferdinand Foch, French commander of Allied forces during the closing months of World War I, 1918)

“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?” (David Sarnoff’s associates, in response to his urgings for investment in radio in the 1920′s)

“Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools.” (New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard’s revolutionary rocket work, 1921)

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” (Harry M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927)

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” (Charles H. Duell, commissioner, US Office of Patents, 1899)

15th February 2012

The video from the Cambridge folk Club gig Delta Ladies gig has come out fairly well. Although though it was not a huge attendance the audience is quite responsive and the playing is OK so that will hopefully help with the profile. I am rather pleased about that. The present relief from the cold weather is also a blessing and its supposed to last until the end of the week at least. I used not feel the cold to much, but this year has been something else. February is traditionally my moping around month and this year has not been any different so far. Yesterday was a typical day, a couple of hours on the piano in the morning then over to N London to do some over dubs for one of our recording projects where we are adding a guest player. Then off for an Indian meal (starters only) and a quick drink and a chat at one of the venues we play that’s also our local by proxy, though its a long way from here. they were having a Valentine themed evening, but it seemed the same as usual to me except our favorite ale had just gone off. In bed by about 3 then up at 09:30…

One of the Uk’s fastest rising ethical fashion designers Ada Zanditon’s new collection Aw12/13 Simia Mineralis shown at London Fashion Week Somerset House this week February 2012. Music is by North London’s Elephant Shelf – a new tune in retro clothes ‘Ooh Bop Sh’Boogie’

The phrase feeling the cold in my bones has finally found meaning for me, being out a couple of nights recently where the thermometer hits -6C has been an experience, and one that I shall try to avoid in future.

We had two gigs this weekend, one at Cambridge Folk Club on Friday where the audience was a bit sparse possibly due to the Arctic conditions though they seemed to enjoy it. We videoed the gig to use for promotional purposes so that was a plus. I didn’t feel were were connecting with the audience as we did the last time we played there but we got some good feedback in between sets.

Saturday night we were in St Albans and had a lively night in one of the many pubs that has live music and we had a good crowd and played a very lively set.
just as we arrived I got a full on back ache that spread to my ribs and shoulders and had a very uncomfortable first set, but things eased a bit by the second set perhaps due to a pint of real ale consumed in the first set. We had a few friends in the audience that night so it was quite a jolly affair by the end.

A woman we have met at our gigs a couple of times, asked what we expected to be doing a in few years time, as in how would we be developing our music career. I managed to stifle the urge to say “Hopefully not starving, if we are still alive”.

She was talking about using project management techniques, and I waited whilst she went through the whole spiel. I then explained that I was no stranger to gant charts and that forward projections are pretty irrelevant. A bunch of semi-geriatrics is not likely to get signed to a record deal and there is no Mr big waiting around the corner with a fist full of dollars or even a pocket full of 50p’s. She did also ask if we had a manager, and in my experience unless they are also taking on the role of investor there is virtually nothing that they can do that we can’t do for ourselves, or are all ready doing.

A couple of years back an independent producer offered to do a record with us. He seemed to think we had money to burn and that we would tip some on his personal bonfire. A lot of people are so desperate to get heard that they are willing victims for this sort of stuff. He told us our songs were weak and he being a songwriter could write better ones for us. Now there’s a surprise ! If you have a product that people want they will pay you for it but a lot of the music industry at the bottom works by taking your money and the deal you get satisfies your vanity but nothing else.

Now anyone can get music on Itunes and everything else worldwide, but you may only sell a few pence worth. A lot of people still get sold on the fantasy of course…

A bit of madness from the first Elephant Shelf Album…

More Elephant Shelf Live at BATF

Its not easy keeping it all together at times. If I get engaged or excited enough to care about something I know its going to end in disappointment. Curiously as I have started getting over the physical health problems I have had the mental ones start lurking around the corner. Its a familiar cycle but I can control some aspects of it, (moderate it rather than eliminate it) if I catch the signs early enough. My nature is such that I need to feel in control though I understand that this is an illusion at best, but a comforting one. Tuesday was intended to be a recording session, but that went wrong and in the evening went to our usual local in St Albans to hear some music and see some mates. Wednesday was very interesting filming Vicky Martin interviewing Phil May for liveblues.info (Lead singer of 60′s group the Pretty things who are still at it today, but don’t look too much like the picture on their website anymore) talking about the Album Bilbao Island which is a surprisingly energetic album for a bunch of fairly ancient rockers. Got the usual photo opportunity so I have attached a pic (how sad am I) BTW Yes I am tall and he is short… We have a couple of band gigs on Friday and Saturday and another one next Wednesday up in Northampton which should be a good one. The we have one gig-free weekend and it gets fairly busy again.

This week has been a more of the same kind of week. One Band gig in Hitchin at a pub that has a regular blues night and a duo gig in a little Village called Flamstead at a very nice village pub which has quite a good restaurant.

Both gigs were pretty well received and a very modest amount of Ale was consumed. It still amaze’s me that I can chat to almost anyone when not so many years ago I was hopeless I talking to new people. Others tell me that I am very much more open and sociable these days. Well I do feel much more at ease but perhaps not quite as comfortable as others might think.

Particularly when we do the duo gigs you have to create a fairly intimate vibe to get the more subtle stuff across and we try and work a little humor but nothing too contrived I hope. Its seems to work and means folks tend to come back to see us again. A typical duo gig goes from old school Piano Boogie stuff to Rock & Roll country and bluegrass and a bit of swing and Jazz and maybe the odd torch song with a few diversions along the way. “My old Mans a dustman” often go’s rather well with almost any audience.

The band is a bit different as its not such a close connection with audience, but we do spend a lot of time chatting to folks in the break between sets. If only they knew what a miserable git I actually am LOL

I am still feeling the strain physically at the moment, but on gigs the endorphins tend to kick in so its the days after that tend to be the problem. We have bookings as far ahead as Christmas 2012 already.

My favorite gigs are the more intimate ones, even though you do end up staring in to the whites of peoples eyes! My back is still not up to attempting much accordion playing yet though, so that will have to remain on hold although there is a little bit on the new Elephant Shelf album.

I have also recorded a couple of Solo Piano works which are a bit obscure and about as far from Blues & Swing as possible and licensed some of my stuff for use on TV & film which might be useful in the longer term.

Elephant Shelf at Blues at The Farm January 2012 doing a couple of very well known tunes.

This is a thing of beauty I think

Built by Simon Dale and his Family and Friends. It only lacks a recording studio, but I guess you could build one and fit it in somewhere. Check this out maybe you can build your own.

http://simondale.net/house/index.htm

I have just about got over Christmas. We were back in the studio in Burnham on Crouch yesterday and I put some accordion on one of the more rootsy tracks, which seemed to work OK.So I shall be doing a bit more of that in future though Phil Cunningham will have nothing to fear from my occasional squeezing and wheezing, mind you Allie Bain has not much to fear from my fiddling either. Due to the ongoing back and ribs problem I can only do a limited amount of playing so my skills are not going to improve that quickly on it. We have about 15 tracks of which about 10 will end on the album I think. The cold is slowly relinquishing its grasp though I felt very tired last night.

We have two gigs this Saturday, one in Billericay in the afternoon at a club called Blues at the Farm as Elephant Shelf. Not the most flattering photo on the website but hey we are quite hale though rather aged and crusty I had never heard of Billericay before that Mr Drury mentioned in one of esteemed songs.

Then one in the evening in our Delta ladies incarnation in the wilds of Barnet at the pub where Elephant Shelf had one of its very first outings (before I joined believe it or not) called the Lord Nelson.

I have it on good authority that at some point this year we will hit the 1000 gigs mark as we have averaged around 140 gigs a year in our various incarnations (Elephant Shelf Jessie Pies Cleavage of Death and the Delta ladies) which I suppose is not bad going really.

Still got the cold but its drying up a bit now, thank goodness. Spent a very lazy day yesterday. Up very late and then a bit of piano practice and wasting time on Facebook and so forth. A bit of very silly stuff on the box as well so not too bad a day on balance.

I had a tap on the door (I know most peoples are in the bathroom! ) and it turned out to be a couple of guys from the local church, I most lean off the bluesy Gospel stuff on the piano or the neighbors might get the wrong idea.They left me with a nice book about Abraham and wished me a happy new year so that’s alright…

I need to go out later today and brave the elements for a while and may make the trip to my usual watering-hole in St Albans the White Lion later on where rumour has it that the Frantastics may be playing.

Pre-final mix track from the new Elephant Shelf Album recorded at Saint FM studios produced by Pete Crisp who produced the recent Hokie Joint album – the song and the album demonstrates the band’s move to retro style and sound

A fairly normal day. Went for a Band rehearsal and murdered some Duke Ellington and Gershwin and did some fairly Jazz flavored blues stuff too. Actually it was not too bad and will be starting to work its way onto Delta Ladies gigs as this sort of stuff seems to go quite well. I suppose its a bit different from Blur covers!

Fairly knackered after the rehearsal I must admit though. Gave the thumbs up to a promotional video for a track from the forthcoming Elephant Shelf Album which Vicky Martin has put together from still images.

Then off to St Albans for a drink at the White Lion which is a bit of a Tuesday night habit. Had some surprising and slightly unsettling news when I got there which I may write about in a week or so.

I spent most of the night wide awake though as if charged with adrenaline which is not at all like me and may be the effects of the meds I am taking. After months of exhaustion and lack of drive its a bit of a shock to the system so I don’t know if its good or bad frankly. I should be working on a new composition but I can’t keep my mind on just one thing at a time right now.

Tomorrow should be a half-day in the studio for the last 2 tracks for the new Elephant Shelf album which feels like its taken for ever, but actually hasn’t really. Will there be jumbo kit-kats on offer at the local supermarket still?

We did a Christmas Eve Delta Ladies gig in at a small pub in Gravenhurst, and it went very well and we got this message;

“Ladies – I want to say a very BIG thank you for last nights performance. You were just outstanding and I am so pleased that you honored me with playing on Christmas Eve. This is my first attempt at a Christmas in the Green Dragon and you certainly exceeded my expectations. You got the customers joining in and the feedback I have had was ‘When are the girls returning?. I had a few customers come down late in the evening because a couple of the others had rung them and told them to come and watch your gig as it was a real performance worth watching and listening to. So all it leaves is for me to say Vicky , Di and Robbie of course, Have a wonderful Christmas and thank you again for the best evening I could have wished for. Hope to speak to you again very soon to book a few more dates. Lots of love, Tina and Zack xx -
”
Which I was rather chuffed with as Christmas Eve is often a rather thankless task, but this was fun.

I seem to have got very wound up today, for no logical reason that I can think off. The trouble is I can’t put energy in to anything useful as my concentration span has shrunk to zero. Its a bit like waiting for a storm to pass in one sense really, you just have to let it blow over I guess.

Yesterday I had a jazz rehersal for our other,other musical outlet and it went quite well, thoughs it a bit different from most of the other stuff as there are dots to be read. All being well in a month or two we will launch our new venture on an as yet unsuspecting world!

I am not looking forward to Chistmas much as I always get overwrought and wound up about stuff, I have always found it to be a very uncomfortable time of year and tend to feel ill at ease. I also tend to get very morbid at this time of year too. HO HO Humn Bah Humbug and stuff. The Christmas decorations in the Kings Road are quite jolly though. Its not bad for window shoping thoughs that really all I do these days.

4 gigs last week which means I can afford to buy some Christmas presents almost. Good fun but I felt it a bit physically with the problems I am having with my back and ribs at present.

http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Tietze%27s-Syndrome.htm

Anyone else had this? Its a real nusiance as its FFing painfull and sneaks up on you unexpectedly. Sometimes its caused by the aftermath of a chest infection or sometimes just by over straining something.

Now we are not out giging till Christmas Eve though I have quite a few things to sort out this week.When you get use to being busy its odd having a bit of time to spare really though I will be using it to practice, but trying to remember not to over do it of course.

3 gigs this weekend one on Thursday at Cafe Rouge in Highgate that was mellow but good fun and we have been invited back in January if all go’s well. One up near Baldock which didn’t go quite so well as they normally have 80′s cover bands so a very retro duo was not quite up their street.

On Saturday night we were at one of our favorites, the Belle Vue in High Wycombe with full band. It was a very lively night and good fun.

The live sound of the band has mellowed somewhat though its actually more energetic, and we had some very complimentary comments from the punters who are mad enough to comeback each time we are there, and so must be real gluttons for punishment. It was pretty much a party atmosphere as everyones really getting into the mood for Christmas and the band was in a somewhat joccular mood too

I record most gigs on a small pocket recorder to get a real ldea of what we sound like, thats very revealing too, sometimes when you listen back its good news and sometimes its awfull! Last nights was mostly pretty good. We put audio clips from the live stuff on the website now. We used to do a lot of video, but its impractical in a lot of places, though we should really get some new stuff done for publicity purposes.

I haven’t been working on writing solo stuff  though as I have been doing a lot of studying and practice and I have felt rather uninspired. Some stuff just never seems to sink in. Also I am not a big fan of Christmas though as a child I really enjoyed it a lot. New Years Eve is always a good feeling though and I try to look back at the good things that have happened though the year.

Suddenly from out of the corner of her eye Diana saw a rapidly approaching cluster of hemidemisemiquavers and a key change