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Feb. 14th, 2005 @ 09:36 pm
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I'm VIRTUALLY finished. All the bass and drum beds are done. I've only gotta go in tomorrow to give a final once-over to a bass part we did tonight and pack up and then I'm DONE. Arhhh. I'm on my third beer at present and feeling somewhat celebratory. I am sparing a moment for poor Ross and Kate whom are only approaching half finished but...I dunno...if I've gotta be there I'd rather be busy. And nothing quite fucks with my head like the studio does.
I worked it out; why I can kinda hate it at times. In the studio I feel 100% ineffectual. In the studio so much of what the band does is about things other than bass guitar. And I get frustrated because I always wanna have my hands dirty, or be helping, or to feel like I'm helping and that is impossible when yr the bass player. I guess it's downside of playing the bass guitar.
Which is okay, the upside is HUGE in my estimation:
+ You get to be super fucking loud live
+ It's fun to play
+ It's easier than drumming when yr loaded
+ Its kinda like half way between being a drummer and a guitarist
+ Peter Hook played the bass
+ Rickenbacker bass guitars
But still...I'm glad I'm home now.
The record sounds great, I think if you liked the EPs yr gonna really, really, really like the album. It's kinda the same but way, way better. And it covers all the same ground but with added bonuses...there is the independent rock but now with heavier heavy bits and poppier pop songs. A few folks were kinda scared we were gonna soften or smooth-out our sound with Magoo but it hasn't happened so far. I can only really compare bass...but my parts are just as fucked up as usual. All the usual strummed power chords, feedback and wacky delays etc are all still there. For example, I play half a bar of 'One Inch Man' by Kyuss in the middle of one of Kate's new songs. See, when I told everyone we were recording a 'pop album' I sorta meant a 'pop album if the band recording it is Iron On and we don't really wanna change anything, except perhaps making the songs a bit more concise'. Which is what the record sounds like so far. That and now, well, Kyuss. For half a bar.
I'll probably disappear for a few days now. See yrs over the weekend, come along to the Rev on Thursday night and see Ross, Kate and I all hideously trashed (we're taling Dollarbar show trashed). And please come early for Ben and Mez's band The Rational Academy (8:00pm). And please, please, please...if you find David from Novi Split attractive please don't 'go back to his' or you'll be FUCKING HIM ON MY BED. Not cool. |
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Feb. 14th, 2005 @ 08:46 pm
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7:25pm
I think Magoo is going to stab me and Ross in the arse tomorrow when it comes to recording our guitars for Learn Today…
Kate |
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Feb. 14th, 2005 @ 08:45 pm
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5:15pm
I really don’t have much to say…I’m bored, and I’m a boring person at the moment apparently. We are about to do our last “bed” for a new song which we have re-named “learn today, earn tomorrow”. This was inspired by Kate’s primary school motto, and it seemed appropriate for a song that is basically about people being obsessed with money…or the ‘bottom line’ as I say in the song. Yes believe it or not it is probably one of the first songs I have ever written with some kind of political-ideological stance. I was just really pissed off at the time by what seemed to be the absence of humanism in modern politics. Everybody’s first concern, middle concern and last concern…we were told…should be the economy, and people went for it!!! Don’t breathe too heavily because you might push interest rates up. Don’t approve extra sick days for female employees for extreme menstrual pain because you might push interest rates up. That’s right, one company, ONE PERSON even, apparently now had the ability to push interest rates up…and everyone else is going to be pissed off if you are responsible. Obviously this should be avoided at all cost. When did this suddenly become everyone’s primary concern? Everyone’s ONLY concern? Yeah, nice…like I give a shit. Then the Tsunami disaster happens, and for a few months we don’t hear much about interest rates and the economy…probably because they suddenly seem insignificant…funny that…and then suddenly they’re all the rage again. I was pissed off about it…just as much as I have felt emotional about any other thing I’ve ever written about in the past, so it seemed valid to write a song about it. Don’t worry though, I’m not about to go and try to become some political warrior like Peter Garret circa midnight oil… “US forces give the nod…” But I guess politics in this country is sometimes something I feel passionate about, so there you go. Apparently I had nothing to say, and then I went on some rant about one of our new songs. Phew…sorry.
-Ross (To be continued…)
7:15pm
CONT’D…So we just finished doing the “bed”…which is the drum track, and usually most of the bass track, depending how big dog is feeling at the time. Can’t remember what I was actually going to say before I went on that rant…hmm. Oh well. It’s kinda exciting to have all the bass and drums done. That means it’s just some guitars and vocals to go!!! I think I’m starting to get attached to this place…it’s a pretty great lifestyle, just hanging out with friends in a house recording music together…or reading, or playing computer games. It’s cool, and I don’t really want to go back to the reality of my life yet. Really looking forward to seeing screamfeeder and the rational academy on thurs, and Art of fighting/theredsunband/ delpino on Friday, so that should keep me out of trouble for a while…I think I may have to make up for some lost drinking time. So far in the studio I have consumed a grand total of zero (0) beers. Ian has just cracked open his first… I wonder if the Boat People will drink in the studio…?
Ross |
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Day 7
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Feb. 14th, 2005 @ 08:43 pm
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2:45pm
Got to the studio and forgot my guitar. Who does that??? Me. It was the custard slice that Ian and I bought on the way to the studio that took my mind off what I was meant to be doing.
We were doing takes of a new song without a name and it sounded shit. It was because my guitar was out of tune. Who does that? What a dickhead.
Ross is playing NBA jam or something. He gets so scary when he plays it. I can smell the testosterone from here.
I started reading that Bukowski book today. He is so goddam funny. For example “ I looked awesome when I was pissed”. That could single handedly be the best line I have ever read.
Kate |
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Feb. 13th, 2005 @ 11:19 pm
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Gawd, I hate recording. I love working with Magoo and my bandmates but ergh, the studio is just so 'not me' at the moment. Actually I've always gotten restless in the studio. Its weird because I'm really interested in reading and finding out how other people make records, home recording, and listening to records. But myself, as a bass player, in a band, in the studio. Crap.
Today I would describe my day (all 10 hours of it) as boring, boring, lunch down the road, boring, The End. I've pretty much been rocking this vibe for the last couple of days. The record sounds great to my ears, we're all playing well and looking after each other...it's all going swimmingly, according to plan, I even think there's an outside chance we could be working on something I'd be really into were I not in the band. BUT the waiting around is driving me nuts. The studio is loud, when I'm not playing (which is about 60%-90% of the time) there isn't much I can do. Too loud to concentrate on work, too loud to read for long periods, too loud to hear the TV and the Sega gives my RSI which is problematic if yr playing a stringed instrument. So, on a day like today, where I did absolutely NOTHING musical (although I did tune my bass, once), I spend my time sleeping on the ground, staring into space, texting, reading in short bursts and eating anything I can get my hands on. It is starting to hurt my brain. I have acute cabin fever.
Good news is, I think my duties will be complete either tomorrow or the day after. Beyond that, my attendance will be limited to emergencies and 'popping in to make sure the mix is going okay'.
Oh yeah, on the upside I did read half of 'The Virgin Suicides' by Jeffrey Eugenides today. |
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I have just finished the vocals for T-shirt. So here I am again sitting and listening to Magoo (oh poor Magoo) listen to the takes over and over again. I should just get over it. Today is Sunday and it feels very much like a Monday. Yesterday we had a day off. Jack convinced me to borrow out a film called Fear of a Black Hat – This is Spinal Rap. Yep, the “rap” version of Spinal Tap. It was so bad. SO BAD. I tried to laugh. He tried to laugh. I tired and gave up. He went out for a cigarette. It was so bad but not bad like Swept Away Bad or Gigli (which are kinda rad shit) just shit. Like shit like Star Struck. Have you seen that show??? That is shit.
Hey my vocals are done now. Ross is in the room with Merlin (the mood lamp). Scott free. I don’t really have to waste time writing or rubbing my ears.
The record is going well I think. It’s been heaps of fun and really relaxed. It’s sound cool – exciting and very large. I am finishing reading Hotel New Hampshire. When I am done (and only when I am done) I am gonna start a book I bought yesterday. Pulp by Bukowski. I have been inhaling Bukowski lately. He could possibly be the funniest goddam man alive. I think Parker Posie could be the funniest woman alive. I don’t know if I could determine who is funnier cause Bukowski’s dead. But I guess that’s pretty funny too. Like I mean that it would be funny to have a competition – on the right Miss Parker Posie on the left Charles Bukowski…but he’s dead. LAME.
Gonna finish this goddam book.
Kate
Feb. 13th, 2005 @ 01:15 pm
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I had leftover pizza for lunch. I swore I’d never go the new domino’s pizza shop in west end…in an attempt to make some quiet political stance against the rapid gentrification of the place. Less than three months later I caved…and it was really fucking good! Although the place is always dead when I go past…maybe the residents of west end have more self control than me. Kate is kinda vego now though, so even though she says she likes leftover pizza I’m not sure how she would have gone with my “BBQ chicken and bacon” pizza…I know…hideous.
I didn’t post anything yesterday either cause I was feeling sick and tired…like that anastacia song “so sick and tired of being sick and tired”…anyway…that and I was distracted by the new toys I bought into the studio…my old Sega and heaps of games. Wonderboy and sonic seemed to be hits with the on’s. Ian got RSI from Wonderboy…
I feel I must also respond to Ian’s post and admit publicly that one of our new songs (that none of you have heard yet…because we haven’t ever played it live, and it wasn’t even demoed…it is still unnamed)…features the word “heart”…in fact the phrase “into your heart”. I feel I should also justify myself here somewhat and say that at the time I wrote this song I was sick of writing all this emo bullshit and not having the balls to say words like heart or love, if that was infact what I was singing about at the time…I guess I always thought it was a crime to say those words in a song…like such a cliché or something…and that there was always subtler ways of conveying something, and it was lazy not to look. Then I got into one of my huge Cure phases…and realised that it was possible to say things like “heart” and “love” in a song and not sound like a total loser. Although I am nowhere near as cool as Robert Smith (obviously)…and he wears all this face make-up that kinda says “fuck off, I can sing what I like…and if you don’t like it, I’ll slap you with my New Romantic man-bag. Point is…I don’t have any of that stuff…so I was still skeptical that I couldn’t pull it off. Then I got over myself…I decided it’s all about placement…context and placement. That, and as Magoo says…confidence.
So I’ve thrown off the shackles of my previous pent-up, snobby attitude toward direct references to such things and feel all the better for it. Look for the following words/phrases to appear in future iron on songs: love, beautiful, darling, in love, love you, make love and antidisestablishmentarianism. The end.
Feb. 11th, 2005 @ 04:00 pm
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We have been doing Tape for about an hour and have had a break for lunch. That song is hard. It’s hard in a lot of ways but mainly it just makes me really angry playing it. It makes me uncomfortable so you can imagine how I feel having to do it over and over. Shitty. I don’t like feeling agitated.
Ross and I have stayed here while the others have gone down the road for food. I am eating leftovers. I hate leftovers except Pizza.
I had a crazy zombie dream last night. Some shitty movie is on tv called She Spies!!!!! So bad.
Feb. 11th, 2005 @ 03:40 pm
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No one posted anything yesterday, it was kinda busy. Wednesday was fucked. This is how you could describe my day: bored, bored, bored, incompetent, The End. After sitting on my restless ass all Wednesday, I spent that night trying to play a song I don’t know very well (Reckless Pronto, we changed the key just prior to recording) and couldn’t really nail it.
Yesterday I came in and overdubbed the whole track, re-writing and editing with Magoo as I went. Then we did some more guitars and vocals and then moved on to tracking ‘beds’ (bass and drums) for a new song which doesn’t have a name yet. We call it ‘Hearts’ but only because Ross sings the word ‘heart’ in it and we like to bag him out for that sort of thing. It also has the dubious working title of ‘Fairy Tales For Grown Ups’. Weird. Anyhow, that didn’t run so hot either so we went home.
Today, fresh and rested, we completed the bed for that song and now we’re thinking about moving onto the ominous ‘More Than Tape’. That’s a 6 minute song, I hope we get it somewhat quickly. Strumming power chords on the bass can be kinda uncomfortable when you’ve got arms like Mr Burns (as I do) and this song has about two minutes straight of strumming at the end. If I have to do 10 takes my arms will fucking fall off. That and I have mad ‘Wonder Boy’ hand strain from the Sega.
Feb. 11th, 2005 @ 01:26 pm
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I have just finished doing the vocals on Miami. Vocals are my favourite part of the recording process because I am pitch perfect so it’s a breeze. Oh I know I am sarcastic. My Mum says I shouldn’t be so dry because people will think I am awful. Vocals make me nervous. Vocals and food shopping make me nervous. Anyways I managed to get them down. My next favourite thing is listening to Magoo listen to them over and over and over and over and over and over again dry (there are a lot more overs’ but I didn’t want to waste space). That’s why I am writing in this so I can try on concentrate on other things.
Ross is kicking arse in Mario Kart. Ian is about to play a bass and Nic is sitting on the Linda Evangelista exercise thing. I am sitting here but my voice is still going. Poor Magoo.
If I rub my ears I don’t have to hear me. It’s great but I look slightly more autistic.
You are bored and I am wasting time. Or maybe I am bored and wasting time. I am not that bored, just wasting time. I think we are going to do some drums this afternoon for Reckless Pronto. A friend of mine called Jack (who recorded our demos) has a pair of white framed glasses from the early eighties, apparently they are French and they are called Reckless Pronto.
Over.
p.s. cubed food also makes me nervous.
Feb. 9th, 2005 @ 04:03 pm
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I guess it had to happen eventually, but it seems to have happened a little earlier than I expected. I’m sick…thanks Phoenix. I don’t feel too bad though, thanks to Kate’s powdered, pure vitamin C. It’s a white powder, and it looks a lot like some kind of illicit substance…it tastes like shit. Anyway, I feel ok, but won’t be doing any vocals for a few days me thinks. Kate is warming up now to do some vocals for Hi Miami High. They will be the first vocals recorded for the album.
We just returned from down the road (breakfast creek) where we went for lunch. I braved the fish and chip shop and ordered a hamburger…it didn’t say on the menu that it came with free “hair” from the greasy man behind the counter…but it did, so there you go.
Before lunch I laid down some extra guitar on HMH using this soprano guitar…it’s basically an octave higher than a normal guitar…except the high b and e strings are the same as a normal guitar. It sounded HOT I reckon…kinda full on…like wailing banshees. Kate said it sounded like God singing to her through a guitar…then again…she is weird.
Feb. 9th, 2005 @ 02:56 pm
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I am so bored. Nicola has the flu so we’ve held off doing some planned drum and bass tracking this morning. There isn’t much to do here when you’re not playing. So far today I’ve read a book, read a few magazines (articles about Husker Du and Richard Pryor), filmed some stuff and played the 64. I now hate the 64 because Nicola can beat in Mario Cart; when you are beaten in Mario Cart GP the loser is subjected to a hallucinogenic award ceremony which is kind of hard to take when yr drummer is sitting higher than you on the podium.
Ross and Kate are laying guitar parts. So far they’ve finished off parts for ‘Playing Hard To Want’ (PH2W) and at present they're working on ‘High Miami High’ (HMH). Do these song titles mean anything to you? Probably not. PH2W is our ode to (a) 3am drunken shuffling on the dancefloor (written around the time of our Depot residency…when drunken shuffling on the dancefloor, sometimes with teenagers I teach for work but more often alone, was all the rage) (b) The Cure and (c) a running joke we share with The Bites. It sounds like something you might be able to dance too, and has this weird delayed guitar part courtesy of Coops. HMH is Kate’s revenge on her homeland: the GC, The Gold Coast. It reminds me of Yo La Tengo when they were a power-pop band.
Compounding this is the fact that I’m really hungry for a change. I have a Mars bar in the downstairs fridge and some left over lamb stockpot for lunch. I hope we break for lunch soon.
I think we’re also changing our day off. By the looks of it we should be working through til Friday and then having Saturday off, which suits me fine.
-Ian
Feb. 9th, 2005 @ 01:50 pm
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Mang, I’m a little tired. Maybe it’s because I had to work through my ‘studio nap’. Or maybe it’s just a little bit of pent up frustration caused The Bill not appearing today (damned ‘Question Time’).
I’ve been busy today. This morning Nicola and I laid down parts for The Safety. The drum take we went with had a few ‘fleas’ (bass mistakes) so I did my first overdubs on the record, including some double-tracked bass guitar strumming. Uh-huh, it sounds rad. The only thing I was insistent on with this record is that it ‘heavy’. You can make ‘heavy’ pop records, its possible and I want ours to be one of them. Straight after overdubs we jumped in drums and bass for ‘Playing Hard To Want’. We pretty much got it down in three takes, just waiting now to hear if I need to do more overdubs. Hope not, overdubs are a pain in the ass. Unless yr overdubbing chordal bass parts (with the Big Muff on) it’s just not something I’m into.
We’ve been eating like total bog rats: Mars bars, a Bounty, a large packet of Kettle chips, a BBQ’d chicken, 3 litres of coke and I finished off a packet of Starburst jellies in two days. Not bad huh. To top it off we’re currently watching Neighbours.
Feb. 8th, 2005 @ 09:13 pm
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We are working on the bass and drums for the Safety. Well Ross, Ian and I are reading and playing nintendo and Nic and Magoo are working. It’s a bit of an odd song to record. As Ian commented we swing like a gate but that’s when it sounds best. When we were playing it I thought we close to disaster a lot but those takes always came out the best. It’s the vibe. Chaos might be close to perfection. That being said I do not think we are perfect…I don’t even think we are good enough to be considered chaotic but I thought it sounded better than sloppy and bad playing.
I finished my guitar on Hi Miami. I used the Black Box orange head with a marshall quad and the hotcake in the bigger sections. It sounded hot.
Feb. 8th, 2005 @ 03:30 pm
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Ian is back on the 64, Magoo just finished doing some “magic” to high miami hi…and kate is about to lay down some guitar. I think phoenix feels sicker today than yesterday…I feel like my throat is about to self destruct just in time to do vocals…okay, sorry kate…thinking positively…having faith…starting now. Where is that powdered vitamin C by the way? I am bored so I will tell you that I have already made two terrible dad’s jokes whilst in the studio. Yesterday I saw a photo of Iggy Pop in a book called “more sex drugs and rock and roll”. He is grabbing his crotch, and through his pants you gan see that God was kind to him…maybe a little too kind. Anyway, when magoo asked what we were talking about, I said that “iggy was trying to smuggle something through customs”. Yes I know…terrible. Then today, Magoo looked at his Orange amp and said “I always turn to my friend the orange”…he meant for doing guitar takes. I was like “wow, two oranges on the one song, that would be warm enough to cook toast on”…of course everyone hated me again…but only briefly. I must try to cut down on my dad’s jokes during studio time, because whenever I make one, they keep calling me “Lindsay”…as that is my dad’s name, and it is band policy to do so…ok now I’m just rambling.
Feb. 8th, 2005 @ 11:28 am
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We’ve just finished tracking for the day. So far one song (High Miami High) has most of the bass and drums finished. We’re about to listen to it. I hope it sounds okay, I don’t wanna play it again. Today was fun, I even had a little sleep.
Feb. 7th, 2005 @ 07:28 pm
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My guess is today will be the busiest day for the diary because there is so much setting up to do. I managed to finish my job diary. It was tough but I still remain optmistic about getting a job. Yeah right. I thought I had managed to wrangle it so that I would be off before my diary is due. Things didn’t work out. I still have one more fortnight before uni and when I start the govt. doesn’t want to support me. I don’t know why. I’m a good kid…I think my parents think I am a good kid...I don’t know if iron on think I am a good kid. They probably think I am just a kid. Not like a goat child. A man child.
Anyway Ian is playing bass. My guitar set up is good to go. Ross is next in line. It is kinda hot but it’s always kinda hot in Brisbane. I get bored being lame and talking about the heat.
To be honest I don’t really think anyone will give a toss about what we are doing in here but at least typing in this keeps me busy. We are recording the songs in the order we wrote them. So first up is a song called Hi Miami High. It’s a shocking story about these soldiers in WW1 who were light horseman and fought on horses. The war ended and they had all bonded with their horses but due to strict immigration laws they weren’t allowed to bring the animals home (come on you’ve seen the steve irwin ads). So the soldiers had to shoot the horses. A truly moving song. Truthfully that was a story Ross’ dad told him yesterday and he told me today. The damn song is about the gold coast and what shit hole the place is (except the beaches. I love the beaches. And I love Pacific Fair). If I had been born in Portland or Seattle I too may have had the opportunity to release two albums on the same day when I was 24. Unlike Connor at 17 I was surfing and studying and being a debutante not hanging out with punks.
Ian is still making massive bowel rumbling bass sounds and I am still sweating.
Feb. 7th, 2005 @ 03:50 pm
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Ross here… Lachlan has popped out for some water…and the air-conditioning is vaguely working upstairs, somewhat better downstairs. We arrived here about 10am…Ian fired up the nintendo 64 at about 11am…yep, 1 hour in…before we’d even set up properly, he was playing mario kart and James bond 007 and some other weird thing called Turok. I think he played the 64 for ten minutes total…then he was bored again. Phoenix seems to be sick, maybe the flu, maybe legionaires disease…that air conditioning at station 13 was wack. I think she is trying to numb herself by doing incredibly repititious drum warm up exercises. Phoenix, I now dub you “The Human Metronome”. There is a “wall of fame” as I like to call it, in the blackbox studios near the door upstairs…there are real life arias and trophies for triple-platinum sales etc. Maybe I should get a photo for my parents…
Feb. 7th, 2005 @ 02:54 pm
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The Bill has just finished. Kate is filling out here dole diary. All the gear is set up. Lachlan is ‘patching in’. Not exactly sure what that means.
Feb. 7th, 2005 @ 02:51 pm
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Nicola is practising. Kate is reading a book. Ross is doing the washing up.
Feb. 7th, 2005 @ 01:08 pm
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