Four strings are better than six: discuss. November 2012. Photo: Eve Whitt
The first milestone for a band's facebook page is 30 likes. Once you hit that you get access to a small amount of statistical information to do with reach etc. Yeah, me neither. Actually, I am not sure there is another milestone from facebook's perspective, but 50 would feel great, especially when you consider we have yet to perform. In a moment of madness, when we had got past 40 likes, I suggested that the 50th person to perform this request would get an open rehearsal/ performance in their kitchen. Luckily it happened, luckily they live in Hove.
Rather sweetly a few other people have expressed disappointment that they had missed this generous offer, and only one of them was the mum of a band member (thanks Linda). Methinks that this won't go away, and I predict our first few gigs might be in a similar vein. So you read it here first - The Sweet Ordeal: Can't Stand The Heat 2012 Kitchens Tour.
Back to the rehearsal. For quite a while we had been talking about how some of the songs would really benefit from some strings. Lo and behold John then announces that his friend Eve was in his flat ready to play her cello. After some worries expressed from me about how soon it was to start tampering with the dynamic of the band (yes, I am a sensitive little flower) Andrea and I pitch up to meet John's Yoko Ono to The Sweet Ordeal's Beatles.
Angel Band. November 2012. Photo: Nick McMaster
Suffice to say it didn't quite go as I feared, and now my worries are around what we would do should Eve not be able to come to a gig. Eve was now John's er, John, to The Sweet Ordeal's Beatles. Anyway, you know what I mean. Eve was helpful, clever and talented.
In this rehearsal we mainly focused on the tracks Museum of You and Feet of Clay. By the end of the evening Eve had played her cello over the former and harmonica over the latter, mainly adding a solo over a new instrumental break, which gave the song a more jaunty feel as well as breathing space. With the cello, real depth to the sound and meaning of the song was added. It really is one of those instruments, isn't it? We feel that we now have the basics in place for these two tunes. We now need to work on defining the harmonies and tightening up their timing.
Both of these tracks pre and post Eve can be found on our soundcloud page. We have decided that on soundcloud we are going to expose the process of our songs' making. So you will hear ropey pitching, missed notes, mistimed harmonies and all manner of warts-and-all clumsiness. But what you will get in return, is a unique insight into the development of a song, and the sheer joy of three friends making something special together, which they hope increasingly comes together!
Feet of Play. November 2012. Photo: Eve Whitt
