Influences to the music Pt. 1

This is just a blog revealing some of my early musical influences.

Back in the day, my family home only had one CD player. In the living room. This meant much of my earlier musical influences was background muzac. Here are some of my favourites. Old Skool!









But this remains my all time favourite song, Jeezus but it still makes cry after a French martini:



If ever I filmed a music video I would burn an Austin Allegro with finger lightening in it too!

It wasn't until I got a PC in my room with a CD drive that I was able to expand my musical taste. I saw the album in the Virgin Mega-Store. Under C. At £15.99 it was expensive, but the cover, the weight of the jewel case just told me I would never be disappointed to own it.

It only turned out to be the best album ever made.

And. It. Blew. My. Mind.





The rest, as they say, is history. And they are right. But my musical history will continue in another blog soon.

Regards,
Greville.

No, we are not "one of those air bands"! We're a complete figment of the mind! Apart from the girl now.

When we left it last, I was involved in a tug of bands with actual proper band, Einstein’s Wardrobe, over a new, real, band member. They had a number of advantages: They, crucially, are a non-imaginary band and I had to wait until a new moon for a naming ceremony to be conducted by a Native American chief.

A grand Battle of the Bands at the local US high school appeared the only solution.

But then another way was found. Apparently committing to a fictitious band isn’t much of a commitment. Being in my band and gigging with Einstein’s Wardrobe is entirely feasible.

So I am delighted to reveal my good friend has decided to lend her sweet voice equally in actuality and un-actuality by joining both bands!

With regards to Greville and the Tombstones, my friend gets:

• Tombstone name
• Band member badge - just as soon as they arrive, they are totally coming, seriously
• Is able to talk about “being in the band” and all the kudos and cool this obviously brings

In return, I get:

• To imagine her whenever I want as part of Greville and the Tombstones, either singing or tambourining or just chilling in the independent coffee house of my brain

Which, when written down bullet pointed like this, makes my side of the bargain seem a little creepier than I necessarily meant it to be.

Anyway...
So with this agreed the naming ceremony could be taken. On the 15th of this month of October, it was.

“You enter this tee-pee @Gillybiscuits, but whatever the chief says next when he sees you behind the tortured flames will be your Tombstone name when doing band things…”

Say what you see Chief man...

 
Hmmm. If only I could make this announcement with any more of a building grandiose flourish.



And so with this, Greville and the Tombstones welcomes and introduces now, for this first time, to the fans:

She Scoops Out Owls For Hats

 
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AND! In a bit of added news for Gothic alt-fans! She Scoops Out Owls For Hats will be singing in my mind and yours on the upcoming non-single, The Unicorn Song!

Battle of the Bands

There is no doubt this song I am writing about the unicorns off their uni-horns from injecting street grade glitter is going to need the lightness of touch a female vocalist brings to all alpha bands. Even imaginary ones, like mine.

R.E.M. mumbled through jangly songs of moody introversion of the southern outsider then they introduced Kate Peirson and wrote this bit of ludicrocity:




This is the exactly the effect I am after.

Danish band, Aqua was a heavy EMO band who wore knitted jumpers with a shuffling stage presence who would never look up from the stage and were famed for their "manatee" wall of sound, then Lene Nystrom asked if she could join:





That's... well clearly that is too far an effect. Much too far.

But the point stands.

And, as I have written in an earlier blog, there is a girl who wants to be in my band. The girl is a great friend of the band already - before you start thinking anything - I can confirm yes, she is very real.

This is all terrific news.

However the path of an gothic alt band never is laid straight on tarmac. There is trouble in the cogs.

Another band is only attempting to woo her before she can become a Tombstone through the initiation ceremony at the next new moon after which I can officially announce her to our fans!

And New Moon phases are extremely precise. We'll need to synchronise filo-faxes with me, her, the Native American Chief - it could take a few weeks. A huge window of time for other band wooing to occur on a generous level.

Here they are now:



It is clear what needs to happen: We need a Battle of the Bands! Lay down a little marker in the ol' treble clef turf.

They are called Einstein's Wardrobe.
My Band is Called Greville and the Tombstones.
1-0 Greville and the Tombstones.

They play a bit alt-country.
My band plays Gothic alt-country.
2-0 Greville and the Tombstones.

They are an actual real-life band, with instruments, tunes and good vocals and an audience who can go and listen to them play gigs they have bookings for.
My band... er... well... look! Behind you! There is something totally behind you, man!
OK, let's just call it a close 2-1 win for Greville and the Tombstones.

Ultimately does Einstein's Wardrobe give out special Tombstone badges to their band members? Yes, I know, I am hoping a badge will sway this girl's head away from actually singing and performing towards to basically watch me type on a computer in my utility room.

And... at the minute there are no band badges.

This could get tricky.

Shiny, Happy Gothic alt-Country?

Friend of the band (real friend, non-existent band) Jaffne, has pointed out my sweet lyrics are a little down beat.

And, I suppose, given this is just a little hobby of mine in this virtual shed of a blog - they are a bit.

But then it is an gothic alt-country band that I am joking about being in, and this genre is not exactly known for it's glass half full sort of vibe. I mean look at the band name: Greville and the Tombstones: Well, it's hardly Fun Boy Three.

Apparently my suggestion of simply imagining some Euro disco beats to read the lyrics to, wasn't going to cut it.

Jaffne suggested I should look to incorporate some lovely, happy things in a song.

"Insane unicorns, rainbows, glitter!" Jaffne happily listed.

Jeezus! Insane unicorns! Now that is depressing.
A decrepit herd of unicorns with mental issues in a cramped paddock? One of them walking constantly in tight circles? Another, hobbled and lost of all sense of balance unable to stand from out its own filth? While another sits still, staring inward to dark places where hope cannot escape, horn blunted with a cork on the tip in case it self-harms?
Well, that has to be the worst idea for a child's petting zoo I have ever heard of.

Yeah, I could probably do a song about that no trouble. It would be pretty bleak though and I am not sure we are getting anywhere with that.

But... Unicorns losing their minds because of snorting glitter in order to surf rainbow waves?

Now this sounds just chipper.

Something is still missing. An element to the song to give it a light touch. Give it some sparkle. It is clear to me. I need to find me a woman for the band.

So it is fortunate I have a volunteer! But that is for another blog...

You can't spell 'Format" without A, R or T

Lyrics posted for I Feel You In My Heart All Year... need highlighting to view.
Formatting fail or artistic depiction of my disconsolate gothic alt-country heart?