What a brilliant club to play in. Fantastically huge stage, superb acoustics and, most importantly, a great audience. We haven’t had that many people up and dancing for I don’t know how long.

Pete, Jamie and I would like to say a huge thanks to everyone at the H&D Social Club for asking us to play there. We hope we can come back soon.

Here’s the set we played:

Set 1 

1. THE ONE I LOVE
2. 20th CENTURY BOY
3. ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT
4. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
5. MONEY FOR NOTHING
6. SUBSTITUTE
7. HEROES
8. OLD BEFORE I DIE
9. TAKE ME OUT
10. UNDER THE BRIDGE
11. NEED YOUR LOVE SO BAD
12. YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME
13. THE OTHER PART OF ME
14. WHITE ROOM

 Set 2

1.  CROSSROADS
2. DAKOTA
3. CHILLUM
4. I CAN’T EXPLAIN
5. SUPERSTITION
6. HARD TO HANDLE
7. CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE
8. LONG TRAIN RUNNING
9. ITCHYCOO PARK
10. DISCO 2000
11. I’LL STAND BY YOU
12. MUSTANG SALLY

If you took a photo or two and you don’t mind them appearing on our website or facebook, please email them to rich@the-crush.net

I recall having to take several attempts to get one particular riff correct. Somehow, the notes weren’t falling out of the guitar in the right order that day. After the fourth or fifth attempt the atmosphere started turning. I was getting funny looks from the other band members. The guy on the mixing desk was great, really supportive. He wasn’t parting with hard-to-come-by money though; the others were and there was still loads of recording to get done.

Then there was the mastering to think about. Studio recording is one thing. You then have to shell out again to get your hard work sounding good enough to go an a CD and be flogged to anyone willing to part with the cash to buy one.

Compromises were made and a riff was finally forthcoming. I wasn’t happy with it then. I’m not happy with it now. Too late. It’s cast in stone.

Leap forward to 2010. The difference is breathtakingly stark. I now have a recording studio that fits in a brief case (along with it’s power supply, spare cables, manuals, adaptors and spare memory cards). That said desk has a pair of in-built microphones that are so stunningly good that they’re suitable enough to record a drum kit with and make it sound almost as good as the big boys in their multi-million pound studios do.

I can record a guitar part. If I don’t like it, I’ll record it again. I can do that from the comfort of my spare room. There is no time pressure. The only expense has been in the purchase of the device itself which was incredibly low to start with.

I can record multiple takes of the vocals and find the one that works best with the song. I can go round Pete’s house and get him to lay down the bass parts.

For a few quid I’ve got a pretty darn good condenser microphone and a tube preamp.

A small investment has put a pair of very good quality monitor speakers on my desk which means that mixing and mastering has become a pure joy. Tip: Never use headphones for mixing and mastering. It don’t work, I tried it.

As for Mastering, that’s all sorted out in the little box of tricks. No more long drives to studios in London for mastering, it’s sorted at the touch of a couple of buttons.

Don’t worry, I’m going to be going in to more detail about what The Crush are currently using to record our demo tracks and original material and how we go about it. Watch out for Part II

Let me firstly describe our acutal recording process. In it’s simpliest form we do it like this:

1. The band plays the whole song together and that is recorded on to a stereo track using a  Boss BR-600

2. Jamie then lays down the drum track on to a new stereo track on the Br-600 whilst listening to the original recording through headphones. As many takes are made as is required.

3. Pete then lays down the bass part on to a mono track whilst listening to Jamie’s new drum track through headphones. As many takes are made as is required.

4. Rich then lays down the guitar part to a mono track whilst listening to the drums and bass parts through headphones. As many takes are made as is required.

5. At this point the vocal parts are recorded on to mono tracks. The original recording in step 1 would have been made using a Shure PG-58 for Vox (both Rich and Pete use the PG-58s live). This is swapped for a Behringer C-1 Condenser microphone which is run to the BR-600 via an ART Pro Audio Tube MP preamp (which has been retro-fitted with a Electro-Harmonix 12ax7 tube).

6. The song is then played back using the ‘takes’ that each of us were happy with. Any errors/corrections are then made prior to the final mixing and mastering.

All the above would normally happen in our rehearsal studios. The priority is to get a good take of the drums and vocals. The BR-600 is ultra-portable so bass and guitar parts can be recorded away from the studio, but it’s useful to get guide tracks down for those parts at the very least.

In part three, we’ll look at the kit we use in a little more detail. Keep an eye out for it.

The Boss BR-600 - A stunning bit of kit

I got a Boss BR-600 in May/June of 2010 as I had loads of ideas for songs but no real way of getting them recorded. I didn’t know whether to go for the BR-600 or the BR-900 but after a good chat with the ultra helpful (and very knowledgeable) chaps at Nevada Music I settled on the 600. After getting it home and having a play around it quickly became obvious that this was a seriously powerful piece of kit.

I’ll be the first to admit that I had to get my head around V-Tracks. The number of COSM effects is amazing as it their quality. The built in drum machine is as versatile as it is realistic and the whole recording process is, after a little practice, a joy.

My one and only criticism is that of the eight tracks, four are stereo i.e. two pairs. Not the end of the world, just a little limiting.

There are two built in mics on the BR-600. Frankly, they are amazing. I recall when I first recorded the band and played the track back through the P.A. We were all blown away by the frequency range that those tiny little mics could pick up.

All the demo tracks that have been/will be posted on the website will have had their drum tracks recorded using the built-in microphone on the BR-600. For anyone who’s interested, when recording, the BR-600 is located about two feet away from the front of the drums and circa two feet off the ground. It’s placed slightly off centre towards the floor toms.

As mentioned in Part Two, We’ll record an entire song played as a band on to a stereo channel. This gives us a live reference for recording each individual part later on.

The drum track is the first to be recorded. Jamie will don the headphones and play along to the reference track. This new drum track forms the back-bone of all the other tracks for that particular song and is recorded on to another stereo track.

After the drum tracks have been recorded and everyone is happy with them, the bass guitar is recorded on to a mono track. The bass guitar is connected directly to the BR-600 and the appropriate COSM setting it selected. Pete likes to have the new drum track at the front of the mix with a hint of the original recording behind for reference.

The same process is repeated for guitar.

Behringer C-1

Next comes the recording of the vocals. Some songs will only have a lead vocal where-as others will have backing vocals. The recording process is the same for both.

Using a Behringer C-1 Condenser microphone connected to a ART Pro Audio Tube MP microphone preamp (which has been retro-fitted with an Electro-Harmonix 12AX7, the lead vocals are recorded with zero F/X to avoid colouration. This helps enormously during the mixing and mastering stages. A pop shield is placed in front of the mix to avoid unwanted bangs and whistles.

The Behringer C-1 is a pretty cheap bit of kit. You wouldn’t know it though judging by the results that we’re hearing from it. Originally I used my mixing desk’s phantom power to run the mic (it need +48v phantom power to operate at it’s full potential) but I was advised that it’s a good idea to use a dedicated microphone preamp.

After some lengthy research I settled on the ART Pro Audio Tube MP to power the C-1.

ART Pro Audio Tube MP Preamp

This little beauty adds another level of clarity and warmth to the already great sounding C-1.

Part of this warmth is due to the replacement tube. I knew that the ART Tube MP would sound pretty good out of the box but it was obvious that the tube it was supplied with probably wouldn’t be the best. More research suggested swapping it out for a Mullens, JJ or EH would yield great results. I plumbed for the Electro-Harmonix 12AX7. If it didn’t sound as good as the original valve then I’d only be down a few quid and I’d probably give the JJ a whirl. As it was, the EH blew the ART supplied tube out of the water.

Electro-Harmonix 12aAX7

The ART Tube MP takes a little getting used to. It’s controls are basic but the results are stunning. Comparing a vocal take that’s been recorded with the Tube MP and one that hasn’t i.e. just using the preamp/phantom power from my mixing desk is like listening to a song being played with the speakers wrapped in cotton wool and then that wool being removed to reveal a very expensive Bang and Olufsen. The contrast is that significant.

The ART supplied tube was OK, don’t get me wrong, but I really do think that for a few extra quid, ART could have fitted a better tube. Also, and this is my only other gripe about the Tube MP, why didn’t they fit an on/off switch?

Despite the above niggles, if it broke tomorrow, I’d buy another one in a heartbeat. If anyone reading this has valve powered home stereos or studio kit for that matter, are you still using the tubes that were supplied with that kit? Is it time for a change? Tube changes are easy but always do a bit of research first.

Ok. All the tracks have been recorded. Everyone is happy with their individual contributions to the song. A very rough mix will be played through the PA at the rehearsal studio. On the whole, it all sounds great. All the tracks fit together nicely. The beginning is tight, the middle is great and the end leaves a lasting impression. There is, however, a significant amount of work to do before that song can be unleashed on the world.

To do the job properly you have to use dedicated monitor speakers. I wasted quite a few hours work before admitting to myself that I’d overlooked this vital bit of kit.

Again, more research. I didn’t know where to start looking. I must have spent a good couple of hours reading reviews and comments for the plethora of monitor speakers out there. You can spend a few tens of pounds or a few thousand!

I settled on the Cakewalk (By Roland) MA-7a desktop monitor speakers. I picked them up from Nevada Music, got them home, unboxed them, plugged in the BR-600, played back a rough mix of REM’s ‘The One I Love’ that we’d recorded a few days previsouly and my jaw dropped! The difference was incredible.

By using dedicated monitor speakers I have found that I can get a significantly better mix of all the tracks.

Mastering is also a real pleasure once you’re using good quality speakers. You know what you’re hearing is going to sound good pretty much where-ever it’s reproduced be it in the car, shower, kitchen, supermarket, where-ever.

During mastering, the Boss BR-600′s internal Mastering Tools come in to their own. Without them, I would have had to spend hundreds of pounds on either software tools or external hardware processors to achieve what’s in the BR-600. How do Boss do it for the money?

Once I have the final master, it’s transfered over to my PC and published to the world. Note, at no point do I use a PC/MAC for recording. Everything you’ll hear on this site has been produced on the BR-600.

The Boss BR-600 has 8 tracks each with 8 V-Tracks. That a total of 64 tracks! This gives plenty of scope for doing clever things with bouncing to make guitars, bass and vocals sound ‘bigger’ and ‘wider’. I think that’s another blog posting on it’s own though.

Thanks for reading.

Let us know what you think. Click here to listen.

By all accounts someone connected to the social club had seen us at The Malt and Hops on the 24th July. A word here, a whisper there and bang, we’re booked to play on Saturday 28th August 2010.

This is going to be a great night. I’ve just spoken to Pete and Jamie about the gig and we can’t wait!

More details can be found here

All I can say is that we were blown away by the reception and comments we got from everyone at the RBL tonight. You guys rock. We’re very pleased that you like The Crush as a three piece now.

So, what did we play:

Set 1

1. THE ONE I LOVE
2. 20th CENTURY BOY
3. ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT
4. TAKE ME OUT
5. UNDER THE BRIDGE
6. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
7. HEROES
8. MONEY FOR NOTHING
9.  SUBSTITUTE
10.  NEED YOUR LOVE SO BAD
11.  YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME
12.  THE OTHER PART OF ME
13.  WHITE ROOM

 Set 2 

1. CROSSROADS
2. DAKOTA
3. HYSTERIA
4. CHILLUM
5. I CAN’T EXPLAIN
6. SUPERSTITION
7. I’LL STAND BY YOU
8. HARD TO HANDLE
9. LONG TRAIN RUNNING
10.  DISCO 2000
11.  CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU
12.  MUSTANG SALLY 

Encore = SWEET HOME ALABAMA

As per usual, if you were there and took some photos, please forward them on to us so we can post them on Facebook and our website.

The Crush at The RBL

Pete

Rich

Dancing Drunk - Our No.1 Fan

Thanks again RBL!!!! Roll on December.

After auditioning numerous singers post Guy’s departure from the band, we just couldn’t quite find the right person to fill his shoes. After a bit of tweaking (many, many, many thanks must go to Dielle at http://www.igloomusic.co.uk/ ;  She’s my vocal coach) it was decided that I should give it a go.  The results speak for themselves.

If you’ve got any photos from the gig and you’re happy for them to appear here and/or on Facebook then please send them over to rich@the-crush.net and I’ll see what I can do.

Here’s the set list from the proceedings:

Set 1

1. THE ONE I LOVE
2. 20th CENTURY BOY
3. ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT
4. TAKE ME OUT
5. UNDER THE BRIDGE
6. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
7. HEROES
8. MONEY FOR NOTHING
9. SUBSTITUTE
10. NEED YOUR LOVE SO BAD
11. YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME
12. WHITE ROOM

Set 2

1. CROSSROADS
2. DAKOTA
3. HYSTERIA
4. I CAN’T EXPLAIN
5. SUPERSTITION
6. I’LL STAND BY YOU
7. HARD TO HANDLE
8. LONG TRAIN RUNNING
9. DISCO 2000
10. CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU
11. MUSTANG SALLY

Encore = SWEET HOME ALABAMA

Thanks again,

Rich

Even the press want to talk about us

See you on the 7th August RBL. We can’t wait.

Here’s a couple more piccys from last nights rehearsal.

The ladies favourite, Howard! He rocks

This is a close up of the very microphone that Howard uses to belt out the tunes!

Stay tuned for more updates.

Keep it real!

Here’s some pictures from last night’s practice.

Howard, giving it large

Taking a short break

Howard's world famous Freddie Mercury impression

ROCK ON!!!!

We’ve got some fantastic new material lined up as well. Hope to see you one the 24th!

There’s loads of speculation going on through our Facebook page (link below) as to who the new singer might be. All I can say at this stage is that we’ve been auditioning singers for what seems like an eternity. We’ve finally found the right man/woman for the job and he/she will be unmasked on the night.

New Singer?

Please come along and offer your support to our newest member.

WOO HOO!!

However, you may have noticed that things have been a little quiet of late. As you may have already read elsewhere, Guy is no longer in The Crush. Pete, Jamie and I have been auditioning singers on an almost weekly basis trying to find suitable replacements for Guy. It’s been a tough job as all the auditionee’s that we’ve had along have been really great singers in their own right. That’s made the whole process that much more difficult.

Well, the end may be in sight. I can’t say too much at this stage but keep checking for news updates.

Rich

Guy has been with the band since it first formed last year but has left by mutual agreement.

Pete, Jamie and myself are still 100% dedicated to the cause and all our gigs etc will be going ahead as originally planned.

Watch this space for further news.

Thanks Guy. It’s been an absolute pleasure.

Here’s the set list from last night:

Set One 

1. IN THE MORNING
2. ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT
3. 20^th CENTURY BOY
4. HARD TO HANDLE
5. THE ONE I LOVE
6. HEROES
7. UNDER THE BRIDGE
8. WHITE ROOM
9. NEED YOUR LOVE SO BAD
10. YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME
11. THE OTHER PART OF ME
12. DAKOTA

Set Two 

1. JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH
2. I CAN’T EXPLAIN
3. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
4. YOU REALLY GOT ME
5. SWEET HOME ALABAMA
6. OLD BEFORE I DIE
7. SUPERSTITION
8. MONEY FOR NOTHING
9. VALERIE
10. TAKE ME OUT
11. LONG TRAIN RUNNING
12. DISCO 2000
13. CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU
14. MUSTANG SALLY

Photos to follow (if anyone took any that is, there was soooooo much drinking going on)

Great crowd yet again. You guys just keep getting better and better. I think we can safely say that everyone had a good time.

The Curlew is a fantastic pub to play in. I gigged there years ago in a previous band and had fond memories from way back then. The staff there are great and we’re really hoping that we can get The Crush back in there at some point again this year.

Here’s what we played and the order in that we played it in:

Set One

1. IN THE MORNING
2. ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT
3. 20^th CENTURY BOY
4. HARD TO HANDLE
5. THE ONE I LOVE
6. HEROES
7. UNDER THE BRIDGE
8. WHITE ROOM
9. HYSTERIA
10. NEED YOUR LOVE SO BAD
11. YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME
12. THE OTHER PART OF ME – original number
13. CHILLUM – original number
14. DAKOTA

Set Two

1. JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH
2. I CAN’T EXPLAIN
3. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL/WHAT SHALL WE DO NOW
4. YOU REALLY GOT ME
5. SWEET HOME ALABAMA
6. OLD BEFORE I DIE
7. SUPERSTITION
8. MONEY FOR NOTHING
9. VALERIE
10. TAKE ME OUT
11. LONG TRAIN RUNNING
12. CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE
13. DISCO 2000
14. CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU
15. MUSTANG SALLY

I’ll post some photos later.

Pete turned up to rehearsals a couple of weeks ago with a demo for a song he’d written. After a bit of listening, fiddling, bodging, badgering and artistic liberalism, we managed to learn it. ‘The Other Part Of Me’ is now proudly included in our set and is proving to be nothing short of a hit with any audience we play it to.

Well done Pete, you’ve produced a blinder. Well be putting a recording of ‘The Other Part of Me’ on the site very soon so watch this space.

The White Horse is a great pub to play in, I hope that we can get back in there again sometime soon.

We threw in a couple of new numbers just to keep things interesting, those being Disco 2000 and a real rocky version of 20th Century Boy. Judging by the reaction from the crowd, that was the right thing to do!

The set comprised of:

Set One

1. HEROES
2. I CAN’T EXPLAIN
3. 20^th CENTURY BOY
4. ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT
5. STEPPING STONE
6. THE ONE I LOVE
7. WHITE ROOM
8. UNDER THE BRIDGE
9. NEED YOUR LOVE SO BAD
10. YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME
11. THE OTHER PART OF ME
12. DAKOTA
13. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL

Set Two

1. LONG TRAIN RUNNING
2. HARD TO HANDLE
3. JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH
4. YOU REALLY GOT ME
5. SUPERSTITION
6. OLD BEFORE I DIE
7. DISCO 2000
8. VALERIE
9. IN THE MORNING
10. TAKE ME OUT
11. ITCHYCOO PARK
12. CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU
13. SWEET HOME ALABAMA
14. MUSTANG SALLY

Usual request. If you took any photos, please send them over to us and we’ll try and get them loaded on here for the world to see.

Brilliant, thanks Luke. This is one of Pete’s favourite pubs for live music and we can’t wait to play there.

More details can be found on the Gig Calendar

There have been loads of requests for a gig in the Havant area. Well here it is!! Given the amount of interest that’s there’s been, it wouldn’t be a great surprise if it’s standing room only at this one.

More details can be found here

Simply go to http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=180716373849 for more info.

I’ve just got off the phone to Barry and they’ve only gone and offered us THREE more gigs for the year! Wow!!!!

Cheers for that. We can’t wait to get back to the RBL.

More details can be found in the Gig Calendar

For those that are interested, our set comprised of:

Set One

1. JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH
2. I CAN’T EXPLAIN
3. ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT
4. STEPPING STONE
5. THE ONE I LOVE
6. WHITE ROOM
7. HYSTERIA
8. NEED YOUR LOVE SO BAD
9. YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME
10. UNDER THE BRIDGE
11. THE OTHER PART OF ME – First performance of our original number
12. DAKOTA
13. HEROES
Set Two

1. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
2. YOU REALLY GOT ME
3. SUPERSTITION
4. OLD BEFORE I DIE
5. VALERIE
6. IN THE MORNING
7. TAKE ME OUT
8. ITCHYCOO PARK
9. CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU
10. HARD TO HANDLE
11. LONG TRAIN RUNNING
12. SWEET HOME ALABAMA
13. MUSTANG SALLY

As usual, if you took any pictures, get them over to us and we’ll post them here.

TTFN

Cheers

The Crush at The Royal British Legion - Blackfield

Rich - Giving it the beans

Pete can play guitar as well

He can also use more than one finger at once!

Guy - Belting out the crowd pleasers

Jamie - Better than Animal?

Nice moody shot of Guy

This might have been Rich when he was singing 'White Room'! Then again, it might not.

Yes, that's a drumstick!

A Dancing Drunk - Every gig should have one!

For those who are interested, here’s what we played:

Set One
1. JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH
2. I CAN’T EXPLAIN
3. ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT
4. STEPPING STONE
5. THE ONE I LOVE
6. WHITE ROOM
7. HYSTERIA
8. NEED YOUR LOVE SOOOO BAD
9. YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME
10. UNDER THE BRIDGE
11. DAKOTA
12. HEROES

Set Two
1. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
2. YOU REALLY GOT ME
3. SUPERSTITION
4. OLD BEFORE I DIE
5. VALERIE
6. IN THE MORNING
7. TAKE ME OUT
8. CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU
9. ITCHYCOO PARK
10. HARD TO HANDLE
11. LONG TRAIN RUNNING
12. SWEET HOME ALABMA
13. MUSTANG SALLY

I found a fantastic plug-in for publishing gig dates/locations etc. Simply take a look at ‘Gig Calendar’ within the ‘Pages’ box, just to the right.

Let me know what you think

Bad News – You can’t come unless you’re invited. Don’t worry, I’ll post a mini-review and a set list after the event.

UPDATE – Because of the snow, this gig was unfortunately cancelled at the last minute. The wedding still went ahead, it’s just that the band (well, Rich) couldn’t get there.

The Crush would like to wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010.

All the best,

Guy, Jamie, Pete n’ Rich

I play a variety of basses, my main one at present being a Yamaha RBX375 (I know, it sounds like a motorbike) which is a 5 string active and has a wide range of tones to compliment the wide range of songs we cover.

My other two are essentially spares, one I take on stage being a Fender Squier Precision on which I replaced the mediocre pickups for Gotoh’s which enhanced the timbre no end.

I also have an old Stagg Fusion which I again changed the woefully inadequate p’ups for a pair of Precisions and a single Jazz which again completely gave it a new voice.

My main amplification consists of a 210 watt,  1 x 15” Peavey 300 combo which is totally insane and needs to be pulled right back on the gas pedal. I wouldn’t change it for all the tea in Tesco’s as I’ve tried other combo’s but nothing comes near. I have a spare rig which is a 1 x 15” Acoustic cab powered by a 120 watt Carlsboro Stingray standing by in an emergency. (Hope it never happens, the Peavey is an extension of me and I know it’s soul and heartbeat).

I only have one stomp box, a Zoom B1 which at the moment is only used for one number, and I use Cleartone cables as I believe in getting the complete character from the guitar to the amp with next to no loss in signal, and just for the record, I use tortoiseshell plectrums as I love the versatility and ‘click’ over plastic and nylon.

Well, that’s my stuff, many apologies if your fillings come loose and your beer falls over.

I thought that someone might be interested to know about my rig. There’s not much to it as I like a nice, simple sound. I’ll start from the plectrum and work all the way through to the amp.

1. Plectrums – I use Tortex .88 (green) plectrums. Used them for years. They last ages, tend not to slip and are a nice colour

The Ibanez ART-120 - My main guitar

2. Guitars – My main guitar is now a white Ibanez ART-120 with active humbuckers.

I’ve been playing this guitar just just over a year now having originally walked in to my local guitar warehouse with the intention of buying a Les Paul.

This guitar sounds great (in my opinion, naturally), plays fantastically well and has tremendous tuning stability (crucial for gigging).

Vester Strat - This isn't my one, I 'borrowed' this piccy until I get one of my own

My second/backup guitar is a Vester Strat copy. It’s based on a ’57 Strat  but with some modifications.

I took the original pick-ups out and loaded EMG SA’s. I also replaced the volume/tone knobs with chrome ones.

This guitar was a birthday present from my then girlfriend, now wife, Mandy. I’d had my eye on this guitar at the local music shop for ages until, one day, he’d sold it. Little did I know that he’d sold it to her. I pestered him for weeks to get another one in but a replacement never arrived. Now I know why.

I used this guitar as my main one for years (must be getting on for 15!) and now use it as my backup/2nd guitar or for anything that needs that middle pick-up bluesy sound.

For some reason I don’t have a picture of my Vester on it’s own! A little daft but there we go.

As I’ve never been one to get on very well with tremolos, this guitar has had it’s tremolo set back as far as it will go so it’s fixed. I replaced the tuners some years ago which gave the guitar incredible tuning stability.

I only use D’Addario XL110 (.010″ to .046″) strings although the ART-120 does have Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys on at the moment for reasons that escape me.

The more observant among you may see me sport the occasional Telecaster (I have a black Squire Silver Series one).  The guitar has the original pickups fitted which sound really good but simply don’t have the output of the EMG’s in the Vester or the Humbuckers in the Ibanez. This means there’s potentially quite a bit of knob twiddling required if I want to use it live. Personally I like “set and forget” which is probably why I don’t use it live much.

Boss AB-2 box - Does exactly what is says on the tin

3. Boss AB-2 – I use this to split my signal to a tuner (on the ‘b’ channel) and then the main signal path to the amp (on the ‘a’ channel).

It’s useful for when you want to change guitar or need to kill your sound quickly. My only criticism is that you can only use batteries in it, there’s no socket for a mains adaptor. I’m just being a little picky though and a pair of AAA Duracells seem to last forever.

The LED indicators are clear and bright right up to the point of battery failure. The construction is very, very rugged and I think it would withstand quite a pounding.

A very useful addition to any musicians armoury.

Marshall MT-1 Tuner

4. First split – Marshall tuner

I’ve tried lots of tuners in my time. Some have been better than others.  This one was dirt cheap, I think I paid about £10 for it. The price doesn’t reflect in the quality though. Yes it’s a plastic case that wouldn’t survive if you stood on it but it’s dead easy to use, has bright LED indicators for tuning up in low light conditions and batteries seem to last forever.

I’d buy another one if I lost this one which is the first time I’ve said that about a tuner.

My one gripe is that it has an input but no output so you can’ add it to your chain. I suspect though at £10, you probably wouldn’t want it colouring your sound.

Behringer HB01 "Hellbabe"

5. Second split – Behringer HB-01 Wah-wah

I got the HB01 on the recommendationfrom a friend. It’s just so damn versatile. There are a wealth of settings which is incredibly useful when you’re switching between single coils and humbuckers.

One clever feature is that the pedal is sprung and kept in the traditional ‘closed’ position. As soon as the treadle is moved a fraction of a nanometer the wah effect is active.

The wah-wah range is brilliant from really throaty lows to ear-stinging highs.

The Behringer DC9

6. Behringer DC9 Compressor

Now, there’s always been and always will be a debate about where certain pedals should go in a signal chain. I must have read a dozen magazine articles and looked at two dozen web site articles on the subject. One point they all seem to agree on is that a compressor should go after a wah-wah (if you’re using one).

If I’m playing a wah heavy song like, say, White Room, the DC9 goes on right from the start. Everything is kept nice and even. I only add a little bit of compression to my signal. You’ve got to be soooo careful with these things. Compression is probably one of the most dangerous F/X you can use with regards to killing your sound.

Behringer DD-400 - Digital Delay

7. Behringer DD-400 Digital Delay

Are you noticing a theme yet? “Why Behringer” I hear you cry? Well, this deserves a reasonably detailed answer. You’re not getting one, I’m just saying it deserves a detailed answer.

In truth, most Behringer pedals are based on Boss circuitry. The cases are plastic rather than the cast aluminium that Boss use but who cares? It’s the same sound for less money. Go figure.

In truth, I use delay so rarely that I couldn’t justify spending a shed load of cash on a Boss, Dod, Digitech etc when the Behringer does an admirable job.

I’d highly recommend these DD400′s. The only point I’d make is that you have to watch the output levels. Also, get a mains adaptor because a 9v Duracell battery lasts about 30 mins!!

Behringer PB-100 Preamp booster

8. Behringer PB-100 Pre-amp Booster

This is used for soloing. Great for when you want to lift your volume by just a few db’s and make yourself heard. Adding a little extra treble really helps cut through. I’ve used a compressor to lift volume in the past but I saw one of these PB-100′s listed on eBay and thought it would be worth try.

Dead easy to use with just bass, treble and gain dials. Again, this pedal is highly recommended but make sure you use a mains adaptor as it’s a battery killer. Well worth it though.

Tip: if you use a lot of gain on your amp, as I tend to do, then it might be worth just backing it off a fraction to accommodate the boosted signal that your going to deliver from the PB-100.

Vox VT100 - a 100w 2x12" powerhouse of an amp

Thanks for all your support during 2009. Here’s to a brilliant 2010 full of great gigs, good music and a load of laughs.

All the best,

The Crush

For those who couldn’t make it, here’s what you missed:

Set One

1. JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH
2. HARD TO HANDLE
3. ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT
4. STEPPING STONE
5. THE ONE I LOVE
6. ENJOY THE SILENCE
7. WHITE ROOM
8. HYSTERIA
9. YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME
10. UNDER THE BRIDGE
11. DAKOTA
12. HEROES

Set Two

1. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
2. I CAN’T EXPLAIN
3. YOU REALLY GOT ME
4. SUPERSTITION
5. OLD BEFORE I DIE
6. VALERIE
7. IN THE MORNING
8. TAKE ME OUT
9. STANDING IN THE WAY OF CONTROL
10. ITCHYCOO PARK
11. SWEET HOME ALABMA
12. CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU
13. MUSTANG SALLY

Just to prove that we were there, here’s a piccy taken by Mel Jewel (thanks Mel!!)

Here’s the latest arkwork which you’ll no doubt see around

Ain’t he a clever little sausage…..

8pm start

I’ve been told I’ve got to write a few paragraphs about my long, successful, musical career. I enjoy a challenge.

Okay, this is how I remember things.

First band was formed at Havant College sometime around 1991. We never did settle on a name although ‘The Seven Jelly Babies’ springs to mind. There were five of us.

There was then another band. It’s a bit hazy.

There was yet another band. This one is even more hazy.

Then there was Stash. Stash was great. Hit the play icon to the left to hear a bit of Stash.

Stash reached it’s end when Richard ‘Taffy’ Evans left. It just wasn’t the same without him.

There was another very short lived band.

Then came Emmarald (www.emmarald.co.uk), a highly successful function band. We played all along the south coast at almost every conceivable function, party, wedding, you name it. I left Emmarald just before the birth of my son and decided to take a little break from music. I still played with Emmarald on and off (and still do).

Next up, The Valves. This is where I first met Jamie. The Valves really started motoring. We had gigs coming in. The music just seemed to fall in to place. Then the singer left!

We got a new singer in. Enter Guy Mercer! Again, it all started coming good, then the bass player left.

We took another break. I think we all felt a little shocked by Mike’s departure. It put me off being in a band for a while; I think the same can be said for Jamie.

A couple of emails, a few texts, a jar or two in a pub and the three of us were back at the rehearsal studios trying out bass players. Well, one bass player; Pete. We played a couple of songs with Pete and that was it. Job done.

And here we are now……..

Thought I’d introduce myself to y’all.

Started playing rhythm, lead and bass guitar when dinosaurs still wandered around and soon got into the scene in a band called The Jugglers playing own songs and covers in pubs and clubs in North London, including support one night at The Marquee Club.

Followed on doing the odd spell late 70’s as a session musician for anyone who asked. Played bass early 80’s for a rock n’ roll band called Flashback doing pubs and clubs again in North London, wrote and recorded a song with them called Angel.

Woke up one morning in Southampton and started working on and off with local musicians including writing and producing for a Ska band called Orange Street. Got itchy fingers and missed the live stage buzz and saw an ad for a bass player and the rest is history.

 Honestly couldn’t want a better bunch of guys to work with. No ego-heads, just good musicians and good friends. This time next year we’ll be millionaires. Put the kettle on.

1. Email them to rich@the-crush.net

2. Set yourself up on this blog and post them here

3. Add them to Facebook tagging at least one of the band

Credits will be added where-ever possible. The very best pics may end up being used in our publicity material.

Don’t worry if you think your pictures are too dark, too light, not quite composed correctly; Photoshop is a wonderful thing ;o)

I discovered my love of music at an early age.  At infants school, like most kids, I was presented with a Recorder – I can still remember the sound made by 12 kids playing “London’s Burning”, slightly out of tune on the recorder.  Then I dabbled with the violin for a while in first school. I could hear my parent’s sigh of relief when I decided that the violin wasn’t for me.  However, their relief was short-lived when I told them that I wanted to learn to play drums.  When I moved up to secondary school, I signed myself up for drum lessons, and while that was more years ago now that I care to admit, I know that there is always something new to learn.

Much to my parents dismay (who I think, secretly hoped that playing the drums was a phase I’d grow out of) it wasn’t long before I joined something that resembled a band.  We didn’t take ourselves too seriously and just messed around in our spare time, making noise and having fun.  When I was 15, I joined a 7 piece band called Temporal Distortion.  We played a heavy mix of RATM, Iron Maiden and that kind of thing.

Myself and the guitarist from Temporal Distortion formed a band with some others.  We only did two or three gigs but we did get to make a TV programme with directing legend, Ken Russell. We could never agree on a band name as we thought everything sounded so cheesy.  I think we were called Pandemonium for a while.  I left around the time the name Spunk Monkeys was settled on.

After leaving Pandemonium, I had a break of about two years while my spare time was taken up with revising for exams and getting a job.  However, I missed playing in a band and it wasn’t long before I joined Southampton covers band, Murmur.  The music I played in Murmur is very similar to the music we are doing in The Crush. I have some very fond memories of gigs I did with the lads from Murmur.

After Murmur, I joined another great bunch of lads from Bournemouth, who called themselves Lostaura.  Playing only original material for my first gig with Lostaura was an experience I’ll never forget.  I got a call about 9am in the morning asking if could I do a gig in Southampton that evening as their drummer had just quit. I had no idea what they sounded like and hadn’t been to a proper practice with them.  It was definitely a seat of the pants moment!

We did a great variety of gigs, at some fabulous venues and had a really loyal following.  However, when the rest of the lads said that they wanted to relocate closer to London, I had to make the hard decision to leave. Lostaura are still going from strength to strength and are soon to release their first album!

After another break from being in a band, and driving my poor wife mad by playing imaginary bongos on every available surface, I joined what would become the covers group The Valves. We played some great songs.  Sadly, after a couple of shuffles in the line-up, The Valves were no more.  However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom because I stayed in touch with Rich, who I had met during my time in The Valves and not long before the end, we had discovered the talents of Guy.

After a short break, while we gathered our thoughts and planned our next move, we advertised for a bass player.  Sadly, none turned up, so we dragged the first guy off the street we could find, stuck a bass in his hands and with Pete now on board, the rest, as they say, is history.

Please come along and give us some support. The ‘event’ starts around 8pm and goes on through to midnight.

It’ll be a great night!!

Some new gig dates are just about to be announced.

Watch this space!!!!!

As soon as the neurosurgeons have worked their magic and the stitches are out, we’ll be back up and running again.

Get well soon Pete

Here are a few pictures to be going along with.

Last night was the last rehearsal before our gig on Friday. As usual, we breezed through the vast majority of the set. I seem to recall (it was a bit of a late one) that there we’re only a couple of songs that caused any real issues in terms of structure/endings; the normal.

Once, we’ve done the gig I’ll post my (own personal) review and a set list. Now there’s something to look forward to!

Rich

The website will, eventually, have some audio of the band, message board, live pictures, gig dates etc. I’d also like to get a biog of each of the band members as well, just to maintain a visitors interest.

I’m also open to suggestion. Is there something you’d like to see? Just add a comment to the end of this posting and we’ll see what we can do.

Rich

Edit: 23/02/2010 – Please note, the first incarnation of the site used stickmen on the landing page. Not any more!

Details are still a little sketchy at the moment but as soon as I know more, I’ll post here.

Update – Sadly, this gig won’t be going ahead.

Richard Setford

We have our first gig!! Wooo Hoooo!!!!!

It’s a private party so we can’t say too much until after the gig. Suffice to say, there’ll be a write up after the event (we’ll try and get an independent review as well).

The band has been going a couple of months now. It feels like we’ve been playing for years though.

Jamie, Guy and I were previously in a band called The Valves. Our bass player let us down badly and we decided to take a break.

The time came to get back together. Jamie arranged several bass players to audition for us but, as soon as we’d played a few numbers with Pete, we didn’t need to look any further.

I’ll be honest, I was starting to loose interest in live music. Being in The Crush as re-ignited my passion for playing live. You really can’t beat being in a great band. Cheers chaps.

This first post is really just to test that WordPress is working. There’s a lot of work to do before it can go live, as there is with the main website itself.

Watch this space!

Rich