This page contains a selection of articles written by Aubrey for various magazines.
Taking Care of your voice
How to get gigs
Interview with Mike Oldfield
Interview with the Manic Street Preachers
Taking Care Of
Your Voice
Vocal Techniques
Written by Aubrey Parsons
The following article
appeared in the March 2008 edition of Performing musician:
If you don't routinely warm your voice up before a gig, you're just asking for trouble. We explain how your voice actually works and pass on some basic techniques for looking after number one.
Most
singers are sinners. Many singers commit the crime of self-abuse every time
they open their mouth, not because of the tone that comes out, but because
of the damage they do to their vocal cords due to lack of training, not
looking after their voice, and worst of all, not bothering to warm up. I've
been singing for 30 years, but it was only after I turned professional five
years ago that the penny dropped that I needed to look after my most
important asset — my voice — because without it I couldn't pay the mortgage.
A series of colds and chest infections led to me cancelling gigs, thus
losing money, and it was only after I visited an Ear, Nose and Throat
specialist and paid for some singing lessons that I realised the damage I
could have done to my voice. I was lucky, because I hadn't caused any
serious damage, and I was amazed to hear the difference in my voice with
just a few singing lessons. I don't expect you all to rush for the Yellow
Pages and sign up with a teacher, but following some of the simple pointers
in this article could mean the difference between ruining your voice forever
and a long and prosperous singing career.
Vocal health
Air
from the lungs is pushed up the trachea to the vocal cords when you exhale,
vibrating them to create a tone, which is amplified and modified as it
travels through cavities above. Air from the lungs is pushed up the trachea
to the vocal cords when you exhale, vibrating them to create a tone, which
is amplified and modified as it travels through cavities above. The voice
box (larynx) is a collection of muscles, cartilages and ligaments that
function as a single unit, and is located at the top of your windpipe
(trachea). Vocal tones are created by vocal cord vibration and resonance.
When you exhale air from your lungs, the sudden release of air pushes your
cords together and outward thousands of times per second, creating a tone.
That tone is then amplified and modified as it travels through the cavities
above the vocal cords before leaving your throat, nasal passages and mouth.
Everybody has a unique vocal quality thanks to the interconnected cavities
in your mouth and nasal areas. These spaces augment sound waves of certain
frequencies and at the same time dampen others. The whole process is called
resonance. The vocal cord is a muscle and it needs to be warmed up, just
like athletes warm up their bodies before vigorous exercise. Going hell for
leather on a cold vocal cord (and, let's face it, we've all done it) can
cause a build-up of scar tissue that leads to vocal nodules or polyps. Once
these have formed, resting the voice for a long period of time or surgery is
the only way to remove them. A vocal fold nodule reduces or obstructs the
ability of the vocal folds to create the rapid changes in air pressure that
generate human speech. Symptoms include hoarseness of speech, painful speech
production, and intermittent vocal breaks and reduced vocal range. A number
of high-profile singers have been down this road, including Rod Stewart,
Robert Plant and Freddy Mercury. Whitney Houston developed polyps on her
Bodyguard tour 1993-1994. She was unable to rest her voice due to the
touring schedule, and although she still sings, her voice has taken on a
deeper, more hoarse tone than before. Warming up
During
her Bodyguard tour 1993-94, Whitney Houston developed vocal polyps, which
have left her with a deeper and more hoarse tone. During her Bodyguard tour
1993-94, Whitney Houston developed vocal polyps, which have left her with a
deeper and more hoarse tone. Dave Lee Roth, Stevie Wonder, Pavarotti, Kelly
Jones and Madonna all have one thing in common: along with nearly all other
high-profile singers, they warm their voices up before performing. There
seems to be some stigma attached to warm-ups in the music industry; people
feel foolish running through scales because it's not quite rock & roll. The
fact is by not warming up your voice you will lose it or damage it forever.
A minimum of 10-15 minutes working your way through scales will improve your
voice and empower you with greater singing stamina. It's no use thinking
that your voice will warm up halfway through the set; without warming up,
the damage has already been done the moment you start singing. To prevent
damaging your voice, you need to find a quiet spot (or even in the car on
the way to the gig) and run through a warm-up exercise like the one shown
below. Watch your breathing. When you sing, you need to pull the air into
the pit of your stomach. Place your hand on your tummy just below your solar
plexus and breathe in. You need to feel your tummy pushing out against your
hand as you breathe in. This is the point where you need to sing from. It's
called your 'diaphragm'. Run through simple scales, gently at first. You
don't need an instrument to get your key (although it helps), just make sure
that you feel comfortable with the scales you sing. Start with a simple
eight-note scale within one octave. Try to ensure that each note is as loud
and as clear as the last. Use a simple 'mum mum mum' to start with. Now jump
up one note and start the scale again, forwards and backwards. Keep going,
jumping up one note at a time, but don't strain your voice trying to hit the
high notes. Once you get to a comfortable pitch, do the whole thing
backwards. Now repeat the exercise with the following: 'guh guh guh' 'gee
gee gee' 'koo koo koo' 'ohh ohh ohh' 'ahh ahh ahh' 'la la la' 'me me me'
When hitting the higher notes, you might find your voice kicks into
falsetto. This is known as 'Head voice', and the sound feels like it is
travelling out of the back of your head. Lower tones are called 'Chest
voice' and feel like they are travelling directly out of your mouth, and a
blend of the two is known as 'Middle voice'. None of these exercises should
be forced in any way; the idea is to give the vocal cords a gentle workout
using various tones and speech segments that the voice will use when singing
for real. It's not rocket science and it will make all the difference to
your stamina and performance. And most of all, warm-ups will save your voice
for the long term.
Professional training
Gravelly
voiced rock singer Rod Stewart underwent surgery to remove a growth from his
throat in 2000, and has had to work hard to get his voice back on track.
Gravelly voiced rock singer Rod Stewart underwent surgery to remove a growth
from his throat in 2000, and has had to work hard to get his voice back on
track.
I cannot stress how much of a benefit it is to even the most seasoned of
singers to pay for a session with a singing coach. I managed to increase my
vocal range by almost half an octave after just two sessions with a
professional tutor. Check out your local Yellow Pages or search the Internet
to find a teacher near you. When you speak to them, explain what styles of
music you perform and ask them if they think they can help you improve your
voice. Some teachers work in specific areas, such as musicals or opera, but
even an opera teacher can bring a whole new world of sound to a heavy rock
singer — Justin Hawkins is a classic example. A good singing coach will
record each session with you onto Minidisc or CD, so you can take the lesson
away with you and use the exercises over and over again. Lifestyle effects
Warm-ups
are not the only thing that will help your singing. Looking after your body
will ensure your vocal cords get the attention they need. Late nights, too
much booze, spicy food, smoking, caffeine drinks and hotel air conditioning
are all synonymous with the rock & roll lifestyle — and they are all killers
for the vocal cords! Try to get a good eight hours sleep every night. If,
like me, you have kids who wake you up at the crack of dawn every day, try
to find some time in the day before a gig to get a good rest or catnap. It's
amazing how quickly your voice will lose its energy when you are tired.
There are certain drinks you should avoid before a heavy gig. Anything
alcoholic will dry you out. If your voice isn't on form, don't be tempted to
drink Rum & Black or any other so-called miracle spirit to coat your vocal
cords. It will only work for around five minutes and the alcohol will cause
inflammation. The same goes for citrus drinks or even slices of lemon or
lime. Citrus acid actually strips the vocal cords of their natural
lubricating mucous, whilst both orange juice and milk can cause a build-up
of unwanted mucous, which will hinder a performance. Too much unwanted
mucous will cause you to constantly clear your throat, which is a shortcut
to the land of vocal cord desiccation. Spicy food can irritate the vocal
cords, so save the curry until after the gig. It's also best to avoid eating
for a few hours before a gig. Singing on a full stomach is uncomfortable and
will hinder your breathing. Dave Lee Roth used to avoid eating for around
nine hours before a gig, but this is not recommended, as it affected his
blood sugar levels to such an extent that he would collapse off stage and
have to be revived with a drip! It goes without saying that smoking affects
your voice. The action of warm smoke passing over your vocal cords dries
them out and affects the tonal quality of your voice. Singing in this
condition will cause long-term damage. Since the smoking ban came into
effect, I have noticed my singing stamina has increased significantly.
Before the ban, my voice would sometimes struggle at the end of a two-hour
performance if I was in a smoky atmosphere; now my vocal cords do not suffer
the desiccating effect of passive smoking. I have been a smoker in the past
and the difference to my voice after giving up for just a few weeks was
amazing. Stamina increased, tonal quality cleared and I found I had more
money at the end of the night for a pint and a curry! It is recommended by
some experts that we all drink around eight glasses of water every day. I
tend to drink around 10 pints of water, starting when I wake in the morning.
It sounds like a lot, but keeping your vocal cords hydrated is one of the
most important factors of singing and speaking. It's no good pouring two
pints of water down your throat five minutes before the gig; the vocal cords
won't have time to hydrate before you start singing. Spread the intake
throughout the day — tea, coffee, orange juice, lager and so on do not
count. Your environment can seriously affect your voice. Dry air caused by
air conditioning is a big culprit. If you are driving to a gig, try to avoid
using the air con. Sometimes you cannot avoid the dreaded A/C — for example,
if you are flying to a gig or staying in a hotel. In those instances, it is
really important that you regularly sip water to compensate for the
dehydrating effect of dry air. Look after your voice by watching what you
drink, watching what you eat, getting some decent sleep and, most
importantly, warming up. Be kind to your vocal cords. If you have a cold or
sore throat, it is best to avoid singing altogether. If you really must
sing, then gently work through some vocal exercises and try to avoid pushing
your voice too hard. Look after your voice and it will look after you.
How do they do it?
After
Kelly Jones, lead singer for the Stereophonics, suffered vocal problems, the
band started to include warm-up sessions before each gig. After Kelly Jones,
lead singer for the Stereophonics, suffered vocal problems, the band started
to include warm-up sessions before each gig. Internationally acclaimed opera
and now pop singer Charlotte Church told us how she warms up before gigs.
"Obviously, I had a lot of professional training in my younger days, and I
still visit a vocal coach from time to time. It's my most important asset
and the last thing I want to do is damage my voice. I have been taught
various warm-up techniques and usually spend around 20-30 minutes giving my
voice a gentle workout before performances. The technique involves working
through scales. I also spend around 5-10 minutes panting like a dog — it
sounds weird, I know, but it loosens up the larynx and warms up the vocal
cords. It's a bit like passing white noise over your vocal cords, so your
full vocal range is exercised. You have to be careful not to do it for too
long and you have to be well hydrated to do it, otherwise you can dry the
cords out. Then there are the obvious things like getting enough sleep,
avoiding alcohol, smoking and spicy food before a gig, but that's just plain
common sense!" It's not just opera singers who warm up vocally before gigs.
Welsh rockers The Stereophonics also have a routine. I visited the band when
they performed at the Cardiff International Arena for a series of three
sell-out dates and was surprised to find them backstage in a fully equipped
rehearsal room. Bass player and backing singer Richard Jones explains "We
started doing this a few years ago. Kelly obviously has to look after his
voice and the nature of his vocal range means he can't cane it too much. He
had a few vocal problems a few years back and was advised to get some
singing lessons, but instead we decided to have a full band warm-up about an
hour before each gig. It means me and Kelly can work through the songs we're
going to perform that evening. It's not like sitting working through scales;
the way we do it means that we're only using the range of vocals that we
will use in the gig." I asked if there were any specific routines that the
band went through to ensure their vocals were kept in tip-top condition on
tour. "Kelly always has a glass of sherry before a gig. It's more part of
his religion now than an actual medicinal treatment; he's done it since he
was a teenager. He's always got a box of Vocalzones in his pocket, but I
think that's just because he's become addicted to them. Obviously, we have
some late nights on tour — it's inevitable in our business — but we've
learned to realise that late nights are OK, providing you still get at least
eight hours sleep before a gig. That means if we don't get to bed 'til 5am,
we don't raise our heads 'til way after lunchtime. Sleep is really important
for the stamina of your voice and, obviously, your stage presence. The more
sleep you have, the better it gets. We also found that the time you have to
be really careful with your voice is when we're not actually touring. It's
easy to get out of the routine of warming up, and jumping in a rehearsal
studio to write songs can be dangerous if you don't warm up. In fact, the
longer you go without performing, the more important it becomes to warm up
properly."
The vocal exercise mentioned is just a small
example. If you do not want to visit a singing teacher, then there are
plenty of books and CDs on vocal techniques. I recommend Singing For The
Stars by Seth Riggs (ISBN-10: 0-88284-528-4) and Set Your Voice Free by
Roger Love (ISBN: 0316441791). Both books include CDs containing warm-up
exercises.
Getting Gigs
How to get work for your band
Written by Aubrey Parsons
The following article appeared in the August 2008 edition of Performing musician:
So, you've got the band, you've got the music and you're raring to go. But just how do you go about booking a gig? Well, with a bit of promotional know-how and some good organisational skills, you could soon be filling up that calendar. Aubrey Parsons
The
first band I joined spent over two years rehearsing two nights per week
before we had our first gig. It wasn't through want of trying, but initially
we didn't have a clue how to get gigs. Like many bands, our first gig was
for a mate who needed some live entertainment at his birthday party. Since
that gig over 20 years ago, we're still together and performing regularly
for decent money. During that time I've learned how to get gigs and I now
perform at over 260 every year. Most bands can be split into two categories:
original bands and covers bands. And whilst the venues and audiences may
differ, the way to get gigs is more or less the same. Unfortunately, there
is no way of magically filling your bookings diary; getting gigs involves a
combination of legwork, phone work, studio work and negotiation. Here are a
few pointers to help you along the way to becoming a gigging musician.
The promo package
Sending
a promo pack is essential. It should contain a brief outline of the band and
the type of music you perform, along with a demo CD or DVD. Sending a promo
pack is essential. It should contain a brief outline of the band and the
type of music you perform, along with a demo CD or DVD. There is no point in
trying to get bookings unless you have something that the booker can see and
hear. You can talk about how great your band is until you are blue in the
face, but unless the booker can actually hear what your band sounds like
they won't even entertain the thought of booking you, unless your name is
Bono and your band is U2. A promotional package in the form of a folder
containing a brief outline of the band and the type of music you perform,
along with a demo CD, or even better a demo DVD, is essential. These days,
it's possible to put a decent package together with the help of a PC, a
colour printer and, of course, a bit of musical talent. Your promo pack
should contain a brief information sheet showing a picture of the band, a
description of the type of music you perform, and a small sample set list. A
separate CV is also a good idea; it should have a brief description of each
band member and details of any bands they have been in, along with a list of
any previous venues the band has performed at. An A4 band photo and poster
will give the booker an idea of any advertising you can supply them with to
help advertise your gigs. Let the venue know that you will happily supply
any additional material they might need, like posters or fliers. Include a
copy of any press cuttings and testimonials from previous clients and
venues. Of course, the most important item of your promotional pack is a
demo CD/DVD. Don't even bother sending a pack without one, as no one in
their right minds will book a band they haven't seen or heard. The CD should
contain between three and six tracks, preferably recorded live. Studio
recordings are OK, but a live demo shows that you can cut the mustard and
that no cheating has gone on in the studio to make the band sound better
than they actually are. The first track needs to be punchy and should grab
the attention of the listener. The CD needs to be concise, like an
employment CV. If it rambles on, the likelihood is that it will end up filed
under 'B' for bin before the booker gets to the end of the second track. If
you get the chance, a demo DVD is your best bet. It's possible to knock up a
demo D
VD
for under £100 these days if you have a half-decent camera and the
capability to record a gig live, but we will come back to this in a later
issue. In addition to all this, make sure you include a date sheet of
existing bookings and available dates. Finally, don't forget
to include your contact details on each piece of paper, and make sure that
the name of the band and contact details are printed clearly on the outside
of the folder or presentation case, on any CD cases, and on the body of the
CD. A word of warning: do not be tempted to give a web address instead of
sending a CD and expect the booker to go to your web site and listen to
tracks — 'B' is for bin, remember! Nearly
everyone has access to the Internet these days and it doesn't take much
effort to set up a band web site or MySpace page to
complement your pack. In fact, 90 percent of our new bookings come from
people who have been directed to the band's web site via word of mouth and
from people who have received our promotional pack. The great thing about
web sites is that you can add samples of your music, pictures, videos and
even a diary of the bands availability. If you have a web site, try to make
the web address as concise as possible. A band web site with the address
http://www.freewebpages.co.uk/bands/wales/thewatchmenband doesn't have the
same ring as www.thewatchmen.co.uk.
Getting noticed
Once
you've put the package together, it's a case of getting your promo material
to the right venues and, more importantly, the right people at those venues.
Whenever you present yourself to a venue, promoter or private client, you
should always come across as a highly organised professional. Making a call
or sending an email and just asking for a gig will get you nowhere. If
you're not good on the phone or you're not a decent people person, then find
someone who is to make the initial contact. Coming across as moody or
disorganised will reflect on the image of the band. Find out what
information they require from you; there's no harm tailoring your promo pack
for each specific venue. Some venues will ask for a three-track CD, some
will ask for four tracks, and so on. Forewarned is forearmed.
Cover bands
Setting up a band web site or MySpace page such as this is a great way to promote your band, and can include music samples, pictures, videos and an availability calendar. Setting up a band web site or MySpace page such as this is a great way to promote your band, and can include music samples, pictures, videos and an availability calendar. If you are a cover band then your prospective clients will be pubs, clubs, hotels, private and corporate events, and a quick search on the Internet will give you a list of live music venues across your region. Make a list of the appropriate venues and call them to find out the name of the person responsible for live music. If they are available, try and speak with them. They are more often than not very busy people, so try to keep your initial call brief. Ask what type of music they have, how often, and if they are looking for acts. Once you have established this you can follow up the call by sending out a promotional pack. Make a follow-up call a week or so later to check if they've had a chance to go through the information you sent. If you get the opportunity to hand-deliver a pack and meet the booker face to face, you will stand a better chance of them remembering you the next time you speak and therefore increase your chances of a booking. When you send your pack, a little trick that bands do when sending unsolicited promo packs to record companies is to include a 'gift' with the pack — not a bribe, but something to make your package stand out, like a chocolate bar or a branded key ring. I've heard of a band who sent a shoe along with their pack — one shoe stuck to the envelope! Mad, I know, but it made the pack stand out against all the others and they were eventually signed! Don't expect the venue to call you. In many cases they are inundated with bands wanting to play, so be persistent, but don't be annoying. Calling every day to see if you can have a gig will more than likely get you blacklisted. However, try to call the venue every couple of weeks until you get an answer. Always be polite and always mention the name of the band; that way the name will sink into the bookers psyche!
Weddings and functions
The web site for the Luminaire in Kilburn has
a s
ection
on what information you need to include when contacting them. The web site
for the Luminaire in Kilburn has a section on what information you need to
include when contacting them. If you think your music is appropriate for
weddings and functions (remember, you will have to have a varied set to cope
with a wide age group and music tastes), then it's worth contacting all the
hotels in your area and speaking with the events organiser. Many venues have
a 'preferred supplier' list for their events. Wherever possible, set up a
meeting and talk through the services you can offer. Developing a good
relationship with an events organiser can be a goldmine for gigs. There are
countless wedding web sites on the Internet and for a few pounds a month you
can advertise your band to thousands of prospective wedding couples. There
are also many wedding forums on the web, so if you do perform at a wedding
ask the bride and groom if they will recommend you to other couples, and
don't forget to get a testimonial for your promo pack. Good recommendations
are worth their weight in gold.
Gig promoters
Most
venue web sites will have information on how you can get to play there, so
make a list and Google them. Most venue web sites will have information on
how you can get to play there, so make a list and Google them. If you are a
band performing your own music, you might want to consider contacting an
independent promoter. These are usually people with a passion for live music
who work part-time putting on gigs at various venues. They will often have a
weekly or monthly slot at a venue, and they are always on the lookout for
decent acts. Search Google for promoters across the UK — there are literally
hundreds. Just remember that they are inundated with demos and MySpace links
on a daily basis, so preparation and presentation is everything. Most
promoters working with original music are happy to receive both physical
promo packs and emailed packs. Don't be afraid to enter any 'battle of the
bands' competitions you might come across. They're a great way of performing
to a prospective fan base. They're also a great way of meeting agents and
promoters and seeing what your competition has to offer. Getting an agent
Both cover bands and original bands can make use of agents, although
primarily they will be looking for cover bands. Approach an agent in the
same way that you would approach a venue. Not all agents are actively
looking for new acts, so your initial contact should be to find out if their
books are open. A list of agents can be found at http://www.agents-uk.com/.
This is the web site for the Agents Association of Great Britain, and all
their members are vetted and monitored by the association to make sure they
perform to high business standards. Alternatively, a quick flick through the
Yellow Pages will get you a list of local and national entertainment
agencies. You can make initial contact via telephone or email, but this
should always be followed up with a promotional pack. Beware of any agent
who offers to take you onto their books without seeing the band perform.
Some so-called 'agents' will literally sign up any band and then proceed to
try and place them in the most inappropriate venues (see the movie Spinal
Tap for examples!). Owing to past bad experiences, I will not work for any
agent who has not seen me perform. If they are interested and you don't have
any gigs lined up, then offer to perform at a showcase. Some agents put on
their own showcases where they invite new talent along to perform. You won't
get paid and you will be performing with a number of other acts, but if the
agent likes you they will keep you in mind for further bookings. Contracts
Whether you are working through an agent or directly with a venue or client,
it is recommended that you draw up a contract between both parties. It gives
piece of mind, and lays out in black and white exactly what each party is
expecting. This includes the fee, start and end times, length of
performance, and location and contact details of the band, the booker and
the venue. An agent will always supply you with a contract, and they will
expect you to complete it and return a copy to them. Most pub venues don't
expect bands to have contracts, but it doesn't hurt to have one — that way a
venue can't cancel a gig unless they have a very good reason. For private
bookings such as weddings and corporate events it is essential to have a
contract. Ask the client to complete the booking form and return it to
confirm the booking, along with a 10 percent non-refundable deposit. I
always attach a copy of our terms and conditions with my contracts, and ask
the client to sign both the contract and terms and conditions to make sure
they have read the small print. The green stuff Money isn't a dirty word and
you should expect to be paid for all the hard work behind the scenes as well
as the performance on the night, but some people are still drastically
undercutting themselves because they think it will get them more work.
Wrong! In this day and age, most people know that you get what you pay for.
Back in the bad old days, my band could expect to get around £80 per gig,
but we now offer a professional package and command around £4000 for
corporate events, £2500 for private performances, and £450 to £900 for pubs
and clubs. Obviously, this depends on distance, and for any gig over 50
miles we now charge mileage and sometimes an overnight fee to cover hotels.
Original bands will be lucky to get a cut of the door money, but they are
performing with a different goal compared to cover bands. Most venues will
have a set fee that they pay to cover bands, and more often than not if it's
your first time at a venue they will pay you as little as possible, so make
sure the venue knows that if your first gig at their venue is successful
then you will be asking for more money on your return. It's also worth
inflating your prices a little at the initial inquiry; you then have room
for manoeuvre if you get a sharp intake of breath when you mention your
fees! Putting it all together Once you have designed your presentation pack,
decided on your fees and made a few calls, looking for gigs becomes second
nature. Keep your ear to the ground for new venues and always follow up any
line of inquiry as quickly as possible, especially if someone is looking to
book your band. Failure to respond quickly to a prospective client or venue
will result in them thinking you are not interested and they will look for
someone else. There are thousands of bands out there and they are all after
the same work, so the more professional your attitude, the more work you
will get. Tomorrow the Dog & Duck, this time next year the world! Now go get
'em!
The promoter speaks
Aaron Kirkhouse from Mint Gigs says, "We get literally hundreds of bands contacting us on a weekly basis. Owing to the large number we are happy to look at web links and MySpace pages. MySpace is great because we can instantly see how serious a band is about their music and their product. A band with a large number of friends warrants examination, since they might be able to bring good numbers of people to their gigs. On the other hand, if a band has a poor MySpace site then we just won't bother looking at it. If we get a good vibe about a band then we will take the next step to see them perform live, and if they've got a good sound and good vocals then we will work with them." www.myspace.com/mintgigs
Interview with Mike Oldfield
By Aubrey Parsons
from Roland PowerOn magazine (Issue 4) June 6, 1999
No musician has been more
innovative or infuential in the late 20th century I than Mike Oldfield.
PowerOn caught up with him in his fantastically equipped studio as he was
prepared for a tour to celebrate the Millennium
Fact file Date: 6 June1999
Venue: Roughwood Court Studio, a converted coach house in deepest
darkest Berkshire
Interviewee: Mike Oldfield
Other team members: Adrian Thomas Musical Director, keyboards and
guitars
Fergus Gerrand: V-Drums and percussion
Vince Barker: tour technical boffin
When did you first become interested in music? What is your first musical recollection?
Oh I was about six or seven. Playing my father's guitar that used to hang on thc wall. He taught me a few chords, and I listened to records, got interested in music the only thing that put me off was school! The music classes there seemed to be pointless.
What is more important to you, the music or the way of life?
Oh, the music for sure. It was really a way I could communicate with friends. Whenever I went out with friends, I would be the entertainment - I'd play guitar rather than talk. I was a rather shy withdrawn youngster. I found I got a lot more attention playing for them rather than talking.
All your writing seems to be drawn from your own, sometimes very personal, experiences, Is this the case?
Yeah, when I'm in the mode for gathering new ideas for a project, I will often go travelling. I just turn my mind into that mode and think, 'I'm looking for ideas now'. I've just come back from Peru because I'm working on a project that describes the last 2000 years of human history in music. It takes little snapshots through time. For example, the Nativity, the court of King Arthur, the discovery of America, slavery, the Venetians, the Second World War, slots of time that end at midnight 31st December, 1999 with a giant bell. We're supposed to be playing that in the middle of London on New Years Eve.
So this is going to be the Millennium Bell Project?
Yep, the project will culminate at midnight with the bell followed by a little hymn at the end to the next millennium.
You'll have to get your timing just right, won't you?
Oh, don't worry we'll time it OK.
Going back to the beginning, you were in a band Sallyangie with your sister. Technology was very different then, Comparing then to now, what are the major differences?
Oh yes loads of differences. When I made Tubular Bells there were no synthesizers, so we used electric organs. I remember when the first string synthesizer came out it was like a godsend - you could finally have real strings. The Melotron was around, but it was hugely expensive and there were only a few made. I only managed to get one few years ago. If you wanted real strings, you had to get real string players. You had to do everything for real. The Sallyangie album was done on two four-tracks, the old reel to reel model. Then when 16 track came, we had to squeeze everything onto 16 tracks. We had all kinds of strange things like drop in delays. A live gig would never approach the production techniques that you used to get the sound of the album. Whereas now, we can take samples off the original album like the drum sounds, chop them up with software and re-use them by triggering from drum pads, keyboards and samplers. Even my guitar, with the GI-10, gives almost instant midi signals. On Ommadawn there was a Celtic harp, but you can't have a Celtic harp live because it sounds horrible unless you spend hours mixing and compressing. So I just take samples of the notes and trigger them from my guitar, which is great. There are millions of things that I have only been able to reproduce in the last few years. That includes all my old albums which I still have on master tapes. I can dump them to digital recorders and use a Mac to mess around with the samples.
Tubular Bells was a seminal album, Not only did it pave your way to fame but it was also hugely significant in the development of Virgin, What equipment was available to you when you started work on the album back In the autumn of 1972?
For recording I had a 20-channel desk, a monitor pane 16-track Amper, and Dolby A units. in terms of instruments I had a Hammond Organ, a Farfisa organ, Martin guitars, and my one electric guitar which is an old Fender Telecaster, and a Bass. I also used bits of percussion like timpani and of course the famous Tubular Bells. We didn't have click tracks then, so we had to record to a metronome in a room. The metronome used to slow down as it went along. The mixer used to click when you switched the EQs in and out, which would end up on the mix tapes so we had to edit out the clicks with sticky tape on an editing block. There's one bit at the beginning of Tubular Bells where it jumps and loses about half a second. That's because there were six clicks on the tape where we had switched six sets of EQ. We edited out each click, but the edits made as much of a click as the original click did. So I thought, blast it lets just chop the whole lot out. So that's why the track jumps. There was no other way to do it in those days. We also had a thing called a motor drive amplifier that was a way of changing tape speed - there was no such thing as pitch-bend then. I wanted to make an organ chord rise in pitch. The only way we could do that was to make a tape loop of the organ chord, put it on a two-track through the voltage controller to make the tape loop change pitch. We had to record that onto the 16-track in real time. We did a lot of that kind of thing.
How does it feel to have been involved with the setting up of The Manor recording studios?
Well it was a very exciting time of my life. I was living with my mother in Harold Wood at the time in a small suburban house. Then suddenly I got the opportunity of living in this huge mansion. It was full of nice looking women, Irish wolfhounds, musicians and engineers. They gave me a week to work on the start of Tubular Bells, and I just loved it there so much I refused to leave. I hid up in the attic saying, 'I'm not going away from here'.
You have written several film scores in your musical career, including the The Killing Fields. How long did that take?
Well, that is another story. I agreed to do the Killing Fields, but I had a tour coming up, and I only had six months to do it in. So I worked the six months and wrote what I thought the music should be. Then after the tour, they came back to me and said, 'No it's not right, you've got to do some more'. So I said if I have to do it again, can I have an orchestra, a choir, in fact can I have anything I want? They said yes. So I started again, and did another three months so I worked nine months on that piece altogether. It was hard work because I normally make music purely to please myself, but with the film I had to please the director and the producer and the editor. I just wasn't used to it.
What gear did you use to write with?
Fairlight. I had one of the first Fairlights in the country. It was the first real sample unit. I'd get gongs and de-tune them to get them very low, so they gurgled away for the battle scenes. A lot of the electronic stuff was Fairlight. And of course we had the real orchestra.
How much have computers played a part in the development of your music?
Well the CD Rom stuff I did was an experiment with virtual reality. We had a very powerful machine called a Silicon Graphics Onyx. I was working on an on-going idea, whereby you find yourself in a VR world. The music gives you clues to beckon you to different locations, for example, a lake, going to a cave and into a tunnel - it's all pretty surreal. We wrote our own software to allow us to do this. One of the early stages of this was the CD ROM information on The Songs Of Distant Earth. That's a whole new world of creativity but at the moment I don't think the time is right. We will have to wait until everyone has a PC or equivalent. When I presented it to the record companies, they all thought it was great, but about 10 years ahead of its time.
How are you able to get your distinctive guitar sound?
I use a Roland GP-8. I've been using that for the last ten years. I haven't been able to find anything that can emulate it. There are two sounds that I use - one is a clean sound and the other is the main lead sound. I plug it straight into the desk.
This may sound like a silly question, but what equipment did you use on your Guitars album?
The main things I used as well as guitars were the VG-8 and GI-1O. With the GI-10 l would play into the Mac and send MIDI to all the different synths. If I wanted a big string pad, I would use the guitar with the G1-10 to play strings on a synth. It was important that everything originated on a guitar.
How does the VG-8 compare to real guitar sounds?
I think it does a great job. In your mind you have to remember that it's a virtual guitar system.
What about the new Millennium Bell Album?
It's nearly finished. I'm in a bit of a rush because I finished Guitars and then went straight on tour. I have to get it ready for New Years Eve. I am putting together the live concert version at the same time. I think there will be about 50 or 60 people on stage.
You have a hell of a lot of Roland gear here in the studio. I take it you like the Roland sounds?
Well the first ever Roland kit I got was a Roland CR-78. Phil Collins used one on In The Air Tonight. In fact, just before he recorded that he came and recorded on an album of mine QE2 and the CR-78 had just come out. He was messing about with it then. the next thing I got was a D-50. That was the beginning of this amazing synth sound stuff. I loved that synth, it was extraordinary. Before that, everyone was using the DX-7. I don't know if this is true, but I always thought the first sound on the D-50 (Fantasia) was based on my Tubular Bells sound. If you play Tubular Bells on the D-50 it sounds exactly like it.
I have a vivid memory as a child watching the episode of Blue Peter where you recorded the new theme music for the programme. It seemed you 'lifted the lid' on the secret world of recording techniques. Was that the case?
Well, there was an attitude at the time that it was a very complicated procedure to work a recording studio. It's not. I have come across plenty of people who try to make the whole industry more complicated that it is to safeguard their livelihood. In reality, there's nothing the average person can't understand. What's great now is the accessibility of music through PCs. Now anyone can make music - even without being a musician. There was a culture of 'We are the elite, we're the producers and engineers - you are just the artist'. I'm so glad that has now changed.
Did you ever think that your work on Tubular Bells and Blue Peter would ever influence so many people?
No way. Although I did believe that Tubular Bells would be a success, even after I was kicked out of every record company in the business, because the music had no vocals and no drums. I just wanted to do something that hadn't been done. I knew it would work given time.
Finally, if Blue Peter asked you to write the music again, would you do it?
Blue Peter! Of course I would.
Interview with The Manic Street Preachers
Written by Aubrey Parsons
The following article appeared in the customer magazine for Roland UK LTD called Power On.
The
rise of the Manic Street Preachers is legendary.
Aubrey Parsons caught up with James Dean Bradfield's guitar tech,
affectionately known as 'Deptford John', and keyboard player Nick Nasmyth...
I chose the Dome Cafe on London's Kings Road to spend some time with
Deptford John, and joined up with Nick Nasmyth later at his home studio. I
don't know if it was because they recognised us or they were intimidated by
John's imposing figure, but at the Dome we were shown straight to the best
seats. It wasn't long before John was sharing some of his trade secrets with
me...
Aub: How long have you been with the Manics?
DJ: Not long, really, since 1996. It was the start of the Everything must Go
tour. I worked for them in 1991 in New York where I was living, and my mate
was tour manager. They asked me to do the guitars at CBGB's. So I'd see
James around and stuff. Eventually a position came up and I was available.
Aub: What's James's set-up for the tour?
Manic bass man Nicky Wire goes wire-less on stage
DJ: He's got three Shure wireless systems into an ABC box then into an AB
box, which runs an acoustic pickup in his Les Paul which I had made for him
in America. The boxes switch between acoustic and electric and clean and
dirty. There is a Trace Elliot Speed Twin and a Fender Twin for the clean
sound. A Marshall head, an Orange head, and an AC-30 for the dirty sound.
There are a load of pedals in line; the Boss FZ-2, for a bit of sustain more
than anything, the Boss CE-5, Flanger and DD-5, and some other stuff that I
don't like!
Aub: What did they use in the studio for the This is my truth - Tell me
yours album?
DJ: Well, I try not to get involved when bands are recording. You tend to be
the cause of arguments. They ask for your opinions and you give it - which
quite often offends. It may not be what they want to hear and causes the
band to question what they've done. It's easier to stay out of the internal
politics. I deal with the equipment - they do the recording. Basically
everything that is used live was used in the studio, although James used
more guitars and a Sitar guitar with an extra set of strings on the body
which can be played like a sitar.
Aub: When the band plays live, do they use any backing tracks to augment the
sound?
DJ: No. If they can't play it live on the keyboards or guitar then it
doesn't get played. We don't use DATs or ADATs. There are some drum machines
but only because they were used on the album. One of them is an old R-8. In
fact we tend to sample the R-8 and loop it. It uses fewer channels on the
rig.
Aub: What's Nicky's bass set-up?
DJ: Two Ampeg heads, one SV-2 and one SV-32 and four 8 x 10s. He plays
Fender Jazz bass with an extra pickup near the neck into a wireless system
into the bass stack. No effects though.
Aub: What other Roland gear does the band use?
DJ: JV-1080, SDE-330, and a 501 Space Echo. We used to use a 501 in the
keyboard rack as well, so I've got a lifetime supply of tapes.
Aub: I saw the band play in Cardiff at the CIA. Halfway through the set
James plays a song on an electric guitar, but it sounds like an acoustic.
Was there any kind of processing going on?
DJ: There's a guy in America (but I'm not telling you who he is - it's a
secret), who modifies electric guitars with special under-the-bridge pickups
to make them sound like acoustics. You can then mix the electric sound with
the acoustic. The sounds of the acoustics are not processed in any way. They
are active and just go straight in to the rig via valve DIs called "Gas
Cookers" to boost the signal.
Deptford
John stays out of the studio for fear of causing arguments
Deptford John's nightmare gig
"There was a geeza from a band called Trouble from Chicago. He looked
like Derek Smalls from Spinal Tap. I asked him what he used and he told me
he would only use Flying Vs and I thought we're gonna be all right. But they
were all copies and he kept saying his lead was bad and I kept having to
change leads during the show. So I kept giving him the same lead back and he
would say, "Yeah this one's better". He couldn't play properly and I just
wasn't interested by about halfway through the gig. I didn't even ask for
the money at the end of it. I just went home."
Aub: Are the strings on Design for Life real or a sound module?
DJ: They're all real. We use the same people for strings when we're in the
studio or for TV. We do use samplers for gigs, but they are samples of the
strings we use. We use some of the same people as The Verve.
Aub: Finally, one thing I've always wanted to know. Why the hell does James
sing so high?
DJ (laughing): It's his natural pitch. He's got perfect pitch too which is
really annoying. He knows immediately when a guitar is not tuned to concert
pitch.
With
that I had to hotfoot it down to Nick Nasmyth's spacious London home where I
found him in his studio. His usual keyboard set-up is an XB-2 and a B-3. He
has owned a JD-800 for years, but has recently got his hands on a VK-7.
Aub: You must be a millionaire by now?
Nick: It's a misconception. People always presume that one appearance on Top
of the Pops and you're set for life. Not so. Appearing on TOTP pays the
princely sum of £138.50 each!
Aub: When did you start working with the Manics?
Nick: It was just after they finished recording Everything must Go. They
were looking for a keyboard player, and I was in the right place at the
right time. I was approached by their management. I wasn't really doing much
at the time, a bit of recording and touring with various bands.
Aub: So what is the set-up at the moment?
Nick: XB-2 and a B-3 for the big gigs. The B-3 gets hired in because it's so
big.
Aub: What did you use on the album?
Nick: Loads of stuff... A nice Hammond at Rockfield Studios, a B-3 (that
used to belong to Jess Yates) in the studios in France, a CX-3 which is
mine, an XB-2, and a VOX - almost anything really. I also use a JV-1080 in
the rig with Orchestral and 60s and 70s expansion boards. All the sampled
string sounds are played in conjunction with the string sounds on the
JV-1080 to fill the sound out. The Everlasting uses the string sounds from
the 1080, and it sounds lovely. I use all of that set up live. And now I
have got to grips with the VK-7 it will certainly be in the rig for the rest
of the tour.
Aub: How do you compare the VK-7 to the other organs that you have?
Nick: Oh, the sounds are a lot better, but there are also a lot of other
things I like. You can do a lot of tweaking of the sounds - you can really
hear the tone generators working. The Leslie effects sound fantastic - great
for recording and at home. It's little things like being able to spread the
Leslie sounds wider or smaller which makes it sound really good. It's fun
having all the other sounds on it as well.
Aub: What about those great LEDs?
Nick: I know what you mean, They're great aren't they? It's fantastic to
actually see what you are doing. I'm a hands-on person. I don't like loads
of editing from menus so it's great for me. The software architecture is
really nice too.
Aub: What about the presets?
Nick: I've found them surprisingly good. I needed to tweak them quite a lot,
but when you first get the keyboard you have really good starting points.
Some of the church organ sounds will be great for the start of Be Natural
and the intro for Ready for Drowning - that's where that Leslie sound kicks.
Aub: You certainly seem to like it!
Nick: Yeah. There's so much I like about it. For example you can assign the
pedals to do so much - kick in distortion without having to use your hands,
that's a godsend. And it's great to get that original valve sound through
the leakage of the tone bars. And because there's a comprehensive MIDI spec,
it makes the VK-7 just like a synth really. Being able to assign the tone
bars to MIDI is great for live work. Every time the bars are moved, the
movements can be recorded over MIDI. It's the kind of keyboard you can get
right into and lose yourself.
With that I had to catch my train back to Swansea, leaving Nick to find out
even more about the VK-7. It was great to see the people behind the Manics
and to get an insight into how one of the greatest bands around really
works.
John and Aubrey wrapped well for their chat!