Tracking our covers...

 

Here are a few more covers of early Shadows' tracks (1960-62)  - once again captured live and "in the rough" on Al's pocket recorder during a garage rehearsal:

Always wun for a pun...

 

While eagerly awaiting some more rehearsal trax from Alistair, decided to have some PhotoShop fun with our images. OK, the Strat's a bit oversize but had to cover up a Lee Enfield 303 being held by Capt. (Betti) Mainwaring. Also, Garry's not that short and Al's not that tall.

Wonder if this pic will help get us some RSA club gigs (or get us blacklisted forever)?

Have a dekko at my new 'deco'

 

GG here. Just had to share a visual of the gorgeous amp that arrived at my place, today, from down-country. It's not quite new, but it's nowhere near as vintage as the styling might suggest (built in China, 2009). It's also rather large for a 1 x 12-inch speaker combo amp, and incredibly heavy - like, heavier than some 2 x 12-inch amps I've owned (roadie recruitment underway).

Epiphone, known today as a quality sub-brand of Gibson, was originally a musical instrument-manufacturing family business that started in Turkey in 1873 and moved Stateside with the owner-operator in 1903. It started manufacturing very good and quite unique-looking guitar amps in 1935. Seventy years later, in 2005, Gibson Labs introduced the E-series lineup, which included this Triggerman 60W DSP 112 - all with distinctive deco/retro cosmetic styling.

Rich, powerful and handsome, you could say it's the great GATsby of Gat Amps (now, all I need to go with it is a 'red Ford').  

"Yeee...hawww!"

  

So, the other day, at a Shadz rehearsal in the "Garriage" (Garry's garage), Alistair plonked down this little hand-held recorder amidst the amps and drumkit - no mixing desk, no placed mics, no balancing or post-mixing/fixing...nothing. Here's one of the tracks we were working on - in fact, it was our first attempt at this 'stampede' called "Big Boy" (Welch/Marvin) from The Shadows' 1961 debut album..

"In the Country"

 

FRIDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 10-12, 2013

Karen Davy Band at Bay of Islands Country-Rock Festival, featuring the "rhythm section" of The Shadz (Al, Garry, Graham), working with Karen, Linde Walker (Backing Vocals), Keri Betti (Harmonica-playing frontman of Indigo Blue) and Ken Strong (Lead Guitar, Vocals and Musical Direction). We were comfortably accommodated at the Haruru Falls Resort, checking-in Friday afternoon ahead of our first gig - later that evening at Hotel Tanoa Paihia.

Haruru Falls from the deck

First gig (Friday. May 10, 2013) at Hotel Tanoa Paihia

The weather forecast for the weekend had been "rain, rain, rain" but it was wrong. In fact, after cresting the Brynderwyn Hills, the only weather problem some of us encountered was sun-strike making it hard to see the road ahead to the Bay of Islands.

Saturday dawned sunny and mild as we assembled/set-up in front of the Information Centre at Paihia Wharf for a 2-hour stint (9.30-11.30 am), which went very well. Good audiences all morning, and even a photo-journalist from the Northland Age/Northern Advocate, so we had a photo featured in the papers' website slideshow.

Karen, Ken and Graham at Paihia Wharf (Sat. morning), captured by Northland Age photographer

Karen Davy Band (lunchbreak photo-op) at Paihia Wharf, Sat. May 11, 2013.
Standing, l-r: Graham Gibson, Garry Betti, Karen Davy, Keri Betti, Alistair Taylor
Seated: Linde Walker, Ken Strong

 The weekend's third gig involved driving to Opua, a car-ferry crossing to Okiato and a short drive on to Russell, where we performed at the grand ol' Duke of Marlborough Hotel. Then, all the way back to Paihia to get ready for.
.
...Paihia Pacific Resort Hotel, where we were set to follow that great entertainer Dennis Marsh. Our band really "hit its straps" in this gig - just felt tight-and-right.

Paihia Pacific (Sat. May 11, 2013).
L-R: Alistair Taylor, Keri Betti, Linde Walker, Garry Betti, Karen Davy, Ken Strong, Graham Gibson

 
Sunday evening at the TMO Sports Bar (ex-Cruza Bar) was supposed to be our final gig, but we managed to add one more performance at the "musos' wrap" party at Haruru Falls before joining in the general "jam session". All in all, a great weekend (with splendid weather).

Haruru Falls Resort "wrap party" (Sun. May 12, 2013)