Stormcellar Band Home Page

Next thursday night will be one of the rare chances to see some amazing special guests as they join us for an exploration of the songs that have come out of the last two tours.

https://www.stickytickets.com.au/24279/stormcellar_%40_django_bar.aspx

Howdy Folks.

With time on our side we've been able to get out to (shock) Other Gigs! 

Yep, we're about to go into a hyper busy period but we've wound up wih a couple of weeks off so what do we do? Go to the Jim Finn gig at the Crownie and hear one of Sydneys Inveterate Veteran outfits lay down the law.

Paul Surany remains one of Australias most tasteful and gifted guitarists, and Jim remains Godfather of Rhythm. This is the first time I've seen the line up with Mike on Bass and I was impressed. Finn are sounding strong and polished, must be all those tours to the Emerald Isle.

Mr Wizard has been sneaking off to play with Finn and reminded me that I hadn't been down to join them in a while, so I took the opportunity for some late night action and fun was had by (almost) all :-)

Cheers to Jim, Paul & Mike for letting us sit in.

Hey Sliders.

Got home at 1am and the pavement was still a foot deep in hail in Stanmore. Apparently they had to tow cars out of the ice.

Good thing i'm never at home.

Went to see Mustang Jerx at the Boatshed recently. Building a following each trip to Australia , like we are attemping in US. They rocked , Japanese Punk Blues energy with Japanese precison and wild performance,other pic is Rika Arai , goddess of the SG bass. great basslines , back up vocals and heaps of vibe from her as always. Love this band , seem them every tour for last 3 year. Unstoppable, unbeatable shows and fun galore. Keeps reminding me of what we need to compete with if we get to Japan. Love these guys to bits! Bought 2 more t-shirts. Thanx Mag , Satoru and Rika for 2 great nights in a row. Cheers to Chuckles from Bunt, (who did a show with them), for bring them out and arranging the tour. 

  Meanwhile heres the boys doing a 6 hour rehearsal the day after the townie gig. 

Howdy Folks.

We have a lot of different things running simultaneously, which is our defense against randomness.

Some things are going right, some things are going wrong, some things that shouldnt have gone right have gone right and some things that should have gone wrong have kind of half gone right. Sort of.

In no particular order, for no particular reason, here's what's happening down in the 'cellar

Everywhere Feels Like Home Multimedia Night

Great rehearsal but so much other stuff is going on I had a meltdown last week and wanted to can it. Instead, we're changing the way we'll present the night and scaling down some of the multimedia (bummer) but the show goes on.

Recording songs for EFLH

I thought Bloomington was ready, now the boys are messing with it, in a good way but that's slowed down recording. We're looking at a fantastic space in Glebe for a live recording but now that the boys have added a twin guitar harmony and a new section in G, it needs more rehearsal. ARGGGH!!

Rock River Variation is coming along nicely and we might be able to record both at the same session...when we get to a session.

I think everything else is done!

DC Bellamy Tour

Doing paperwork for our own US tour is one thing. Doing it for DC is hilariously different. Before anyone makes fun of US paperwork, you ought to check out the Australian process.

The Yanks ask if you're a criminal, a terrorist, a people smuggler, a terrorist, are you sure you're not a terrorist. Are you really really really sure?

Our guys ask 'Do you have tuberculosis and have we given you a government grant before?' My answer is No and Yes :-)

Anyway, the DC tour is rocketing along with a string of great dates in Sydney + more to come.

Stormcellar US Tour #3

We're booked for three fests and a bunch of shows, I'll aim for maximum marketing impact and release each one at a time. Unless I don't. Who knows.

New Videoclips

Yep, trying to make those too. This is one area with more Fail than Forward Motion so far, but I am trying to get a clip out for Same Old Blues, have written one for Sun Shines On and Return of The King (which we havent even recorded yet). I recently changed O/S and my excellent video editing program didnt make the change over so I have to find a new one. Bugger.

Half way through writing SC8 and road testing the songs at gigs. 

Another dozen songs are doing battle in the Musical Fighting Pits as an internal struggle between simplicity and complexity engulfs the band.

Asian Rock Punk and Pop continues to have a profound influence on Mr Wizard - Baby Metal, Scandal, Mustang Jerx, Shonen Knife to name a few that he's been listening to.

The Japanese seem to favour highly changeable songs with lots of different and interesting parts, VS 'the Groove' - the static same-ness of some forms of western music. I for one am in The Groove camp. The groove, the pocket, the grind, whatever you Get Down to. Yeah. Doesn't stop me liking complexity but I still treasure the simple.

I thought The Curious Assembly was a weird collection of songs and Everywhere Feels Like Home is another slightly oddball project (Mongolian Singing anyone?), but I have an idea that it's only an indicator of the weird and wonderful stuff that's to come over the next year. 

The occasional musical explosion that showers you with Cheese is not to be feared. Fail towards Victory, it's a scientific method and at the very least, should prove most entertaining.

Back to work.

I love this weather. With due respect to all who are getting hammered by it, and sympathy extended.

Still - it's been monstrous. Monsoonal. Tempestuous. Thundery and lightning-y.

Spotted this pic via Richard Hirst, wow.

As the winds die down I can hear a stream of air traffic, planes are landing in long white stripes like eager seagulls gasping for a chip through a break in the clouds. The thunder gives way to silence, displaced by the rumble of A380's.