Happy Birthday to blues legend John Mayall, 70 years old today!
Saturday 29 November 2003
Friday 28 November 2003
Thursday 27 November 2003
Wednesday 26 November 2003
What will be the Christmas No 1?
I don't ordinarily take any notice of the "charts" here in the UK, seeing as they are generally full of such rubbish, kiddiepop and Pop Idol type drudgery.However, it would be good to know that something worthwhile gets to the top of the charts for once.
So, how's about we all go out and buy the forthcoming PUNK AID single "Ere's Your Christmas"?
The record is the brainchild of a certain Captain Sensible and also features Charlie Harper of the UK Subs, Martin Newell, Marky Ramone, a couple of Electric Prunes, and TV Smith, amongst others. All proceeds will go towards helping children with cerebral palsy.
See:The single is released on the 8th December, so please remember that date and go out and buy it... buy several copies even and give them away as Christmas presents!
Gig cancelled after bassist saws himself out of tree: British Sea Power had to cancel a gig in High Wycombe after the bass player hurt himself falling out of a tree. Hamilton was collecting branches to decorate the stage when he inadvertently sawed through the branch he was holding on to.
Tuesday 25 November 2003
Glenn Campbell charged with drunk driving: He played guitar on records by The Monkees and The Beach Boys amongst others, you know.
Slack-key guitarists perpetuating the tradition: Keola Beamer helped revive the indigenous sound in the 1970s.
The Unofficial Danelectro Page: I can't remember if I've linked to this site before, but if I have then I'm doing so again. Because I like Danelectros.
Monday 24 November 2003
Harrison guitar fetches £276,000: The Dutch-made Egmond guitar, nearly 50 years old, was originally bought for George Harrison by his father for about £3.50. Harrison, who died in 2001, recalled it as "a real cheapo, horrible little guitar but it was OK at the time". A Fender Stratocaster guitar given by Harrison to Spike Milligan fetched £17,250 at the sale at London's Hard Rock Cafe by auctioneers Cooper Owen.
Thursday 20 November 2003
Many Happy Returns to Duane Allman who is 57 years old today.
See also: Hittin' the Web with the Allman Brothers Band
Wednesday 19 November 2003
Harrison's first guitar for sale: George Harrison's first guitar is being sold at auction, where it is expected to fetch £200,000.
Tuesday 18 November 2003
Happy 41st Birthday to Metallica's Kirk Hammett.
And if you've ever wanted to know what gear Kirk uses, there's always the Encyclopedia-Metallica!
Session guitarist Steve Lukather (Toto) has opened a new website to promote his Christmas album, Santamental.
Monday 17 November 2003
Win a Fender Stratocaster HH guitar! - the ultimate tone machine, so they say, featuring the new S-1 switching system (which basically splits the humbuckers to give a single-coil soung).
And once again: "Contest is open to only to legal residents of the United States and its territories."
Bastards.
And once again: "Contest is open to only to legal residents of the United States and its territories."
Bastards.
Get a free limited edition Fender Stratocaster lunchbox ... when you place an order for $65 or more. Big Wow! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
Actor-guitarist promotes rock music: Acting in the most acclaimed television series in history, Little Steven Van Zandt has made a name for himself playing Silvio in HBO's "The Sopranos." But long before that show hit the airwaves, you would've recognized him as the bandana-clad guitarist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. He just wrapped up a 120-date tour with the musician, working in the new season of "Sopranos" on his days off...
MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer is making music for 'grown-ups': Plenty of music, Kramer says, is created for and marketed to teenagers, which is fine, but adults need music that connects with them and their concerns, too.
Sunday 16 November 2003
Friday 14 November 2003
Tony Blair admits being Darkness fan: UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has admitted to a class of schoolchildren that he listens to The Darkness' latest album.
Thursday 13 November 2003
Guitar Legends Launch Store: Rock stars from two generations attended the launch of a Westcountry guitar shop's new home this week.
Rubbish Music - Lesotho shepherds turn junk into funk: "A group of shepherds from Lesotho are making an impact in the musical world with their creation of 'Junk funk' - songs performed on instruments made from rubbish."
...which reminds me of a Boston band called Neptune who played impossible-looking instruments that had been welded together from pieces of scrap metal. I remember there was one guitar that had been made from the side of an old cooker. The necks were steel rods with "frets" welded across them, so that there was no fingerboard beneath - just air.
I had linked to these guys back in the early days of this blog, but now those links are dead. Does anyone have any more info on this band? I've found a few articles on the web, including this one and this one, but would love to see a feature with photographs of all those instruments again.
...which reminds me of a Boston band called Neptune who played impossible-looking instruments that had been welded together from pieces of scrap metal. I remember there was one guitar that had been made from the side of an old cooker. The necks were steel rods with "frets" welded across them, so that there was no fingerboard beneath - just air.
I had linked to these guys back in the early days of this blog, but now those links are dead. Does anyone have any more info on this band? I've found a few articles on the web, including this one and this one, but would love to see a feature with photographs of all those instruments again.
Wednesday 12 November 2003
Happy 58th Birthday to legendary songwriter and guitar player Neil Young.
The Musical Instrument Makers Forum: Acoustic guitar building, electric guitar making, archtop guitar building, violin making, dulcimer making, mandolin building, banjo building, or any other type of lutherie; pickup winding and rewinding; drum making; flute and recorder making and repair; brass instrument building and repair; and more.
Tuesday 11 November 2003
From the New York Times:
"Cornell University physicists reported last week that they had used a laser beam to pluck the strings of an invisibly tiny silicon guitar just 10 millionths of a meter long. Each string of the instrument is about 50 nanometers (or billionths of a meter) wide - 100 atoms thick."
'Lord Of The Rings' Star Enlists Guns N' Roses Guitarist To Play On His Album: "Lord of the Rings" star Viggo Mortensen has recruited GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Buckethead as well as co-stars Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd as guest musicians on his upcoming musical album.
James "Spider" Rich, Famous Guitarist Dies at Age 80: James 'Spider' Rich of Winchester, who was for many years a key guitar player and composer of guitar instrumentals on the Nashville country music scene, died Sunday at the age of 80.
Slim guitar auction benefits police woman: A guitar signed by Slim Dusty - "Australia's King of Country Music" who died after a lengthy battle with cancer on 19 September 2003 - has sold in Western Queensland for more than $10,000.
Monday 10 November 2003
Where Is Nash's Guitar?: Graham Nash (of Crosby, Stills and Nash) offers $1000 for return of guitar.
Friday 7 November 2003
Happy Birthday to Sharleen Spiteri of Scots' band
Rocker’s guitar gift surprises fan: Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen visits a Marine who was paralyzed in a June accident.
Thursday 6 November 2003
Today's guitarist birthday boy is Glenn Frey founder member of The Eagles, and who is 55 years old today.
Former Metallica bassist Ron McGovney auctions off memorabilia but nothing exciting as far as I can see; just some smelly old vests, wrist bands, a few old photos and receipts. Nothing exciting like a bass guitar.
Guitarist Scotty Moore is named a musical ambassador: Nashville resident Scotty Moore has been called the guy who invented rock 'n' roll guitar, having provided the guitar licks behind the King of Rock 'n' Roll: Elvis Presley.
Wednesday 5 November 2003
Tuesday 4 November 2003
Rapid response halts guitar factory blaze: A Vancouver business is charred but not destroyed by a Molotov cocktail. See also: Larrivee guitar factory hit by fire
Monday 3 November 2003
G3 website www.satriani.com/G3 currently has a video message from JOE SATRIANI, STEVE VAI and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN available in RealVideo or Quicktime 6. The video features a G3 promo message and footage recorded on October 17th at the Concord Pavilion in California.