A final note for 2009......

We are a relatively new covers band in the local area and are now celebrating our first anniversary together. As any new band would know, its hard to get established, especially in the current climate. However, in our first year as an unknown entity, we have performed to over 1500 people at 18 live performances, raised over £200 for our nominated charity, built our own website, and more importantly, managed to secure a small local following and over 130 Facebook fans!

Whilst we would like to thank everybody for their support throughout our first year together, we would like to express special thanks to the following people, whom in our eyes, helped us along the way!

Donk for his consistent assistance humping the gear around; Wayne for his encouragement and continued promotion; Shirl; Gayvid & Sam; Dil; Jax; Rupert; Bazza; Mandy & Warren and Lionel for attending most if not all of our gigs; Simon for assisting with the sound & light at outside venues; Chaz from Slack Harry for filling in; Tracksuit Boy for all the photos and being on stand by to fix any equipment; Tanya of the Brewers Arms for having faith and giving us loads of gigs, Clumpy & Vikki for booking us for your special day and most of all....

Kerry, Heidi, Lucy & Mo - the band WAGs, for their continued support and understanding of our venture, and allowing the time away from our families during practice & gig nights.

We hope 2010 is as, if not more successful and look forward to rocking out with you all soon!

We'd like to wish everybody a very Happy Christmas and may 2010 bring you everything that you wish for!

Anniversary & Xmas Party Cancelled :(

It is with mixed emotions that we have decided to cancel the Christmas party this year and apologise to all who showed interest. The party was a success last year, and was only ever going to be a one-off but feedback from numerous guests that attended was the foundation of the band as it is today. Since Christmas 2008, we have played to over 1500 people at 20 gigs and raised nearly £200 for our charity. It has been a rollercoaster ride over the past year for us with varying degrees of emotion, and for those who have supported us, we thank you sincerely. The party this year was booked as a direct result of your feedback and was not only to celebrate Christmas, but also to mark our first anniversary together.

As it stands at the moment, we have made barely enough money to cover the cost of the hall for the evening (proceeds would have gone to the Cornelius Centre) and nothing else. Anyone that attended last year will tell you, it was not just us playing live music for the evening, there was quite a lot of effort and money donated for other activities and a fantastic spread of food, ensuring that everyone had a good time and got their moneys worth!

We could, in theory, still go ahead with the party this year, however the money raised so far would only allow the use of the hall for the evening, and for us to play live music for three hours.

Whilst we as a band enjoy doing it, and would play at a gig regardless, we think it would be grossly unfair for those who have bought tickets, to have spent their money to see something that they can get for free at any given weekend in a pub we are playing at. We cant say fairer than that!

Due to the current climate, we set the deadline for as late as we possibly could, and being as the party was due to take place on the 12th December, that only allowed us 12 days to get it ready. Obviously, some of the important time based material that was to be used for the evening was purchased and / or created in advance, on the assumption that ticket sales would have been the same if not better than last year. Subsequently, some of the funds raised have been spent already.

We have a detailed listing of all who have paid, and would like to stress that, if requested, you will receive a refund within 28 days. You could also, if you wish, decide to donate your ticket money to one of the nominated charities that would have benefitted from the evening, either the Cornelius Centre, or The Rowans Hospice. Needless to say, you are under no obligation whatsoever and can request your money back.

Those who have paid already will shortly be receiving a free gift, Nothing spectacular so dont get excited, simply a token of our appreciation for your support.

Once again, for those who showed interest, we would like to apologise for cancelling, and would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has supported us in some way over our first year together.

The Brewers Arms - 5th December 2009

Well what can we say? What a night to finish of our first year! We were all pretty disappointed that our own Christmas Party got cancelled, so we were determined to make this one a good show to go out with a bang, and by Jove, we think we succeeded! Our only regret is that Jock, who had previous engagements this evening, was not around to enjoy it with us.

When we first turned up, there were only a handful of people in the pub, but it didn't particularly bother us we were pretty confident that being the last gig of the year, we would have a fair few people turn up to see us out. As we continued to place all the equipment, we didn't hardly notice until we sat down for a quick drink that the bar was now pretty full and we knew, at that point that we had to give it our all. It was nice to see that a few of our friends that hadn't been to see us for a while made the effort too, and in addition to the usual crowd and some regulars of the pub, the Brewers Arms was busy too say the least.

We were venturing into the unknown tonight with a special guest appearance by our girls Kerry, Shirley & Dil aka the A32's. These three girls have supported us right from the very beginning and only in rare exceptional circumstances have they missed a gig. On numerous occasions throughout the year, when the general public have been reluctant to get up and have a go, the girls have come up and assisted with backing vocals to such songs as "Ruby" & "Parklife". We thought it would be nice to give them something back and decided that we would give them the opportunity to sing on stage with a more female orientated song rather than just backing for Beanz. The five of us decided that for our Christmas party, we needed one of those good old "feel good" songs that everybody knows and would join in the fun. "Love Shack" by the B52's was the favourite choice and after only two practise sessions, the girls were confident enough and we all felt that it was good enough to perform live. Due to the Christmas party being cancelled and the girls going that extra mile for their debut appearance by buying matching dresses (corrr!) we decided to include them at our last gig at the Brewers to recognise their efforts and give the crowd something different to talk about, rather than saying sorry girls - your contributions were for nothing.

Andy, prior to the gig totally re-arranged our set list and what a cracker it was. The first set was rock and punk orientated whilst the second set covered all the dancey well known favourites that everybody loves and sings along to. The song arrangements were superb - Well done Legend, you did us proud! We also have to take our hats off once again to the amazing Chaz, our step in bass player from Slack Harry. It's been several months since we have had to utilize his talents and with even more added material in our set that he didn't particularly know, he did a fantastic job with those bass lines.

We set up and did our sound check with AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" which enabled us to utilize the girls aswell doing some backing so that Dan could set all of the MIC levels up. It wasn't perfect but after a few little tweaks on the mixing desk, all sounded good. Dan as usual did us proud and we're so glad he is still working with us. Every band has hiccups, but having Dan onboard means we don't have to worry about it. Rarely does anything bad occur that he can't deal with and we are truly grateful. We kicked off just past nine o'clock and there wasn't one song that went by without applause and cheering. That's what we like! From the very first song to the last, the crowd were on side. There were plenty of mistakes by all of us but we had loads of fun and everybody joined in with the banter. We kicked off the second set with "Always look on the bright side of life" from the life of Brian. We all like doing this one as an ice breaker and a bit of fun but especially this time because Tanya commented on enjoying hearing it when she came to see us at the Spotted Cow earlier in the year. It went down really well and it appeared that the whole pub was singing along. A few songs later, then came the big one. The girls big chance to show themselves off. Even if they didn't admit or show it, we knew they were a little nervous and just to make things worse for them, we made history and for the first time ever had to stop playing suddenly and start again! We don't know what Harley was playing but it certainly was not Love Shack. Beanz panicked and initially thought that he had broken a string, but it turns out he was obviously elsewhere in consciousness!

Beanz played up to the crowd and laughed and joked about it with Andy whilst Harley seemed to pass the buck onto Chaz.....Blame the new boy, its easier but remember we can tell the difference between a bum bass note and a bum guitar note! It was funny but we started again trying to fight off the giggles. Beanz kicked it off with the male vocals then the girls took over, adding in their own little bits of add libbing and dance moves in their sexy little dresses. It sounded quite impressive through the monitors so out front from the PA must have been awesome. The dead giveaway was several blokes in the front having to wipe dribble from their chins we're sure! The second part of the song right after a four bar bass solo was the girls' nemesis and the part of the song that took the most practice, and in true overcome by nerves fashion, the bit they practised the most was the bit they forgot! Beanz waited two full bars before sneaking behind them and shouting "BANG BANG" to jump start them back into action! Suddenly they all gave a giggle and started to sing again and Kerry's rendition of "Tin Roof, Rusted" finished the song off superbly. With less singing in this song Beanz took the opportunity to look around the pub to see if the song was being appreciated and being a master of lip reading, saw the majority of the crowd singing along. It was great! Both Dil and Shirl also sang their own little bits and all three harmonised well. You did very well girls for your first time and we are proud of you! There were a couple more songs in the second set that they helped us with and we had feedback afterwards that they were good and had good singing voices, which filled out our music a little more. We will definitely be looking to let them join us again more regularly but are unable to utilize them as a permanent fixture due to home commitments. Both Kerry & Shirl are mums of four with homes to run whilst their men are out and about rocking it up. Dil is a hard working girl in the early stages of starting her own business so spare time for all three is rare. Keep checking the website next year to find out when the A32's are with us again.

We'd also like to thank Mo & friends for coming up and backing for "Parklife". They did well too and Mo gets a special mention for bringing loads of new faces to our performance. If it will be their last we are yet to find out!

We did "The One I Love" by REM for the first time in the Brewers tonight and listening to it back from the recording, we have to say that the backing vocals from both Harley and Andy in the chorus sounds awesome. Andy does quite a bit anyway but Harley should definitely do more. It suits him! Although for the last two gigs, we left "Johnny B Goode" out of the main set on purpose, we decided to put it back in as the last song tonight and dedicate it to Tanya as we've heard it is one of her favourites. But before doing so, we addressed the crowd and explained that it was our last gig of the year and we were proud to be doing it at The Brewers, especially as our very first gig as Kneeslider was played there. Since that first gig, Tanya has always made us feel welcome and has had us back 5 times, not to mention the "word-of-mouth" promotion she has provided us. Beanz made the excuse of desperately needing a pee-break which allowed Harley to escape to his car to get Tanya's gifts. During this transition, the pub looked to Andy for a drum solo and he nailed it! Totally unrehearsed, he went bonkers and we could hear the crowd cheering it on from outside! It was fantastic! We called Tanya up and gave her a mention and requested a round of applause before handing over a box of chocolates, some flowers and a special appreciation certificate, which we were chuffed to see went straight up on the wall when she returned to the bar. Thanks Tanya & Charlie, there will always be a special place in our hearts for you. On that note we kicked off "Johnny B Goode" for her, an even longer extended version due to Andy missing his "Wipeout" cue. When it did finally come around again, the whole pub jeered him on and Andy loved every minute of it. We're not sure if it was tears of joy or sweat escaping from the tin hat, but his face was wet. It went down a treat and seemed to bring the house down. We didn't even get to finish saying "goodnight" on the final notes before everyone was screaming for more, so we decided, despite Jock not being present, to do our version of "Down Under" by Men At Work. Harley gave Chaz a little explanation of the keys and we did it. Still not completely satisfied, the crowd still cheered for more and taking advantage of the atmosphere, we decided to end the night on a slow number which then goes into a big go banana's finale. You got it - "Freebird" by Lynrd Skynrd. As soon as the initial notes were played a heartfelt cheer came from the pub and 50% of the audience congregated in front of us in a group hug. Dancing? Looked more like ring-a-ring-roses but that was down to the shortness of space! The final vocals of the song which launches into a truly legendary performance by the musicians of the group was encouraged by non stop cheering and applauding. For us up front, it brought a lump to our throats that these people follow us around, not because they feel obliged to, but because they genuinely love us and appreciate the atmosphere that we try to invoke. We love you guys too, and whilst the slow part of "Freebird", with everybody singing seemed like a farewell song, it symbolises the end of a new beginning. Our first year complete. Four regular guys who got together for a jam a year ago have accomplished so much more than they ever dreamed of, and we're hoping 2010 will be as, if not more successful, venturing out into further territories and bigger venues.

Thanks to everyone who has helped us along the way. xxx

Market House Tavern - 4th December 2009

Pretty much like our initial thoughts at the The Chase a couple of weeks ago, walking in here was a little intimidating due to the number of people in the pub. Just a handful of people is always demoralising, not just because we are trying to promote ourselves, but because we try to have fun and involve the crowd as much as we can. Andy is always drumming it into us (excuse the pun) that playing a gig is 10% musical talent and 90% stagecraft. In the beginning the rest of us could not grasp this concept but after all of the gigs done this year, it is slowly coming together and we actually love playing the crowd, as long as they are up for it. You know pretty early on whether banter is going to be appreciated and if its not we turn to each other for support to get through the night. The musicians of the band randomly throw in deliberate bum notes to keep each other on their toes and Beanz tells Jock that he loves him knowing that his "camp not gay" perception would be shattered and cause a smile!

This was a strange gig looking back. It was as if we played it backwards. In the beginning the few people present were nodding heads and singing along but the second set sort of tailed off to nothing with no encores requested. When this happens, despite not being labelled and covering a wide variety of music, we as a band feel that either people dont like us or dont like the music we play. Saying that however, there have always been people outside the pub afterwards patting us on the back for a job well done and recommending further venues that they assume we will be appreciated at. Very confusing signals. As much as we like feedback after a gig and the possibility of future recommendations, we would prefer it to happen during our performance, so that we can feel assured that our audience is being entertained and moreover having fun, which is what we as a band started out to do.

We tried another different set up this time round as we have had an issue for some time with Jock struggling to hear himself, resulting in him turning his amp up to Dans disagreement. We have had issues at numerous gigs with getting the sound right. What you have to realize is what we hear behind the PA speakers is totally different from what everybody else hears out front, and it proves to be a continuing uphill struggle for any musician to perform well when unable to hear what you need on stage. We think, after several months of discussion, sometimes heated, we have finally found a short term solution that can be worked on for future performances. Since the unreliability of our powered monitor speaker, Dan had a fantastic idea of using our back up Peavey amp to power all three monitors. It worked ok at The Chase but still had its faults and we came to the conclusion that Andys bass amp that Jock is using is pretty old now and becoming tired. Jock has now agreed to use his own equipment at gigs, and tonight at the Market House Tavern, he sported his new toy which in conjunction with the new monitor set up, seemed to work a lot better in Jocks favour. The new bass amp looks the business and even has a gauge on it. Not sure what it is for at the moment but it looks good!

At this point we would also like to thank Andy aka tracksuit boy, for fixing an old stereo amp of Dans which can now be used to power our monitors and allow Dan to control what comes out of which speaker independantly makin g it easier for us on stage.

We had a rock n roll moment tonight also. Not sure if it was the couple of ladies dancing on the springy wooden floor or the power of Jocks new bass amp, but it appeared that we actually managed to shake a glass jug off of the ceiling shelf! Glad it did not hit anyone. Overall, we enjoyed ourselves and feedback at the end suggested we were appreciated. Thanks again to our posse who came and applauded. Its special to us that you continue to attend and offer your support. We just wish it could have been busier, especially as it was Jocks last gig of the year!

The Chase Inn - 14th November 2009

Well, another long break since our last performance - September in fact and in true tradition, we were rusty! We did however, give it our all and changed the set list again adding in a couple of new numbers that we had learnt.
Already being in the vacinity, Andy was the first to arrive leaving Beanz, Harley, Jock & Dan to load the van and transport the equipment. Credit where it's due, the journey to the pub was bang, clonk and rattle free - maybe Jock should supervise the loading more often!! We arrived at The Chase a little past 7.30 and upon opening the rear doors, everything was exactly as loaded - note it in the diary people, after twenty gigs, we've finally managed to load the van in a manner that was pleasing and stress free! As usual, before starting to unpack and set up, we walk into the pub to suss out the atmosphere and check out our area. We all looked at each other through intimidated eyes. There were four people in the pub and two of them were staff! "Oh my God, they're gonna kill us!" We didn't expect to be playing to a packed pub as it came across as a "local pub for local people" How wrong could we be. We started to unpack and set up and without noticing, the cars kept coming and coming. By the time we had finished setting up, the car park seemed full and the atmosphere inside was no different to any other pub we have performed for.
Using their second to none sparky skills and unlimited use of tools from the emergency kit bag, Harley and Jock repaired a damaged plug on the amp with no more than a beanie hat and a swiss army knife! Well done boys! Andy (with the most to erect) carried on in his usual quiet way putting his drum kit together, Beanz, suffering from "Manflu" did the front of house equipment and Dan proceeded to set up the mixing desk. We were short of space in this pub so decided (wrongly) not to bring any lights and stuff with us. Dan also set us up differently this time by not MIC'ing all the drums up. Subsequently, there was a lot less spaghetti to be mindful of in the stage area, allowing us to concentrate on getting the music right!
We started with a classic rock song this time instead of punk, kicking off with "Can't get enough" by Bad Company. From the off, the pub made us feel very welcome and applause followed every song played. We are all in agreeance that The Who's "Seeker" was probably the best we've ever played it whilst other songs seemed not to be quite up to spec. Whilst we still practise on a weekly basis, we utilize most of our time learning new material and seldomly review the ones we know already. We've agreed that they are as important as new stuff and will commit to revising them on a more regular basis. By the time the first set was over, which seemed to be appreciated by us as a band as much as our audience, more people from the back bar came forward to watch us perform.
As always, it was nice to see our regulars out front, supporting us as they have consistently and unconditionally done since we started - these people deserve another mention - thanks to Wayne; Gayvid; Dil; Rupert; Sam; Donk & Lionel (who left after the first set with his new hobby, a new non-radio controlled girlfriend! Don't blame ya fella, know what I'd rather be doing in that situation too!!!!) We would also like to mention a new groupie to our entourage who we think was press ganged into coming. Nevertheless he came and the nodding head and foot tapping throughout the evening gave off signals that he enjoyed us - Welcome to the club Stewie!
We took quite a few of our regular songs out of the set this week and we're glad we did. We have now put ourselves in a position whereas if people keep shouting "more" (which we love by the way) we have enough material to keep going. We finished this gig with one of the new songs, "Down Under" by Men At Work. We put a lot of effort into making this song our own due to the major difference in instruments and vocals. Criticised at the initial idea, it turned out that a few people commented and thought our version was better than the origional?? The bass line provided by Jock, the guitar rifts by Harley, the vocal key by Beanz and the tempo and rythum provided by Andy was all our own doing, making the song different yet recognisable. By the time we had finished this song and the set, it was both satisfying and pleasing to hear the crowd shouting for more. Our initial thoughts of them "killing us" for being crap soon turned into "they're gonna lynch us" if we don't carry on! At the end of the day, if only by buying pints, these people have paid to see the performance and who are we to deprive them of getting their money's worth?!
We played three more that we had in reserve and when that came to an end, we retired outside to cool off. Beanz and Jock could hear the shouting for more whilst standing against the urinal and decided to give them one more before finally finishing around midnight.
We finished the whole evening with "American Idiot" by Greenday and left it at that - still with the crowd shouting for more. Seriously guys, despite my previous comment about encores, we do still have another two hours work when you've all gone home!!!!
Before starting to pack the gear away (thanks again Donk, but the journey home was clonkier than a bolt ina biscuit tin!) we all sat together over a drink whilst waiting for the pub to empty out. Whilst at the bar, numerous people local to the pub and not of our own group patted us on the back for a job well done and we were assured that we would be returning there in 2010.
We'd like to thank Alberto at The Chase for giving us the opportunity to play despite letting him down previously, and all the people regular to the pub for making us feel welcome and appreciating what we set out to do at every gig - have fun!

The Spotted Cow - 25/09/09

Anyone got any WD-40? We weren't over tight but were as rusty as a Fiat in Southsea!!!!!
This was our first proper pub gig in eight weeks and whilst we have been practicing, you wouldn't have thought it! It was damn good giggle though and we all enjoyed ourselves. The set list was jigged again for this one with a few old ropey songs taken out and some new interesting songs put in. Interesting in the fact that they sounded nothing like what they should but hey ho, we are a covers band and that's our perogative. What a laugh it was too. Basket Case by Green Day had as much good timekeeping as a poundsaver clock, and Always Look On The Bright Side of Life by the Monty Python crowd saw a foul up of lyrics on the opening line which sent Andy into a fit of giggles. What was the excuse? There isn't one, Beanz was reading the lyrics! We had an intermitant technical problem with the monitor system which kept throwing us out, Harley's guitar strap fell off mid play and banter with certain people sent the band into laughter. What a night but it was fun and that's what we're about!
The Spotted Cow was unusually quiet tonight. Typically on a Friday live entertainment night it is busting from wall to wall but the landlord told us that it has been quiet for a number of weeks. We always enjoy playing the Cow and made the most of what we had and who was there. Roll on the end of this recession. As nervewracking as it is, we love playing to pubs chocked full of strangers, and no matter where we go at the moment, it seems that all pubs are struggling for trade. Still, despite it being quiet, and having a laugh, we did do three encores tonight and three of our best ones we might add. Freebird, Tush and Born To Be Wild finished the night off with a treat and left us and the landlord happy with the overall performance. We'd like to thank Barry for allowing us to play for the third time and look forward to many more gigs there. We'd also like to thank Tanya and Charlie of the Brewers Arms who showed up to offer support. It was nice to see them coming to watch us play in another pub, rather than hearing us in the background of their own. Of all the places to go on your night off, you chose to come and see us. We really appreciate it and will see you on your home turf soon!

Wayne promoted to PR Agent!

Yes it's true! Our number one groupie has proved so valuable to us with his consistent gestures of support, we decided to give him something back. Not only does he never miss a gig regardless of circumstances (he even told his heavily pregnant wife NOT to go into labour on a gig night!) he also spreads the word to all the others ensuring us a good following. Not only does this make our evening more enjoyable as performers, it also puts bums on seats which is exactly what landlords want during this financially difficult time. He has also commited himself to going all out to promote us and will soon be touting for business down Pompey. A goal we have wanted for a long time. This gesture takes the pressure off of us a little bit and we are truly thankful. To this end, we decided to strip him of his cheesy No.1 groupie title, and give him a more credible title as a thanks for his efforts. Wayne will now officially be known as "Velcro", the one thing that keeps a kneeslider in place! Well done fella and cheers!
This step did of course leave us with a vacancy. It was a foregone conclusion that No.2 would jump up and become No.1 by default. We'd like to congratulate Gayvid on his new, much awaited title and must stress that whilst we banter with him about only ever being No.2 while Wayne is around and becoming No.1 by default, he has earned it in his own right. He too has committed a lot of time to coming along and brings a great sense of humour with him which makes it all the more fun!

The Mead End - 31/07/09

Our last gig with stand in superhero "Chaz".
Not a bad gig musically with a very good turn out from our usual entourage - cheers guys and gals for your support! - This gig was different from any other pubs we have performed at in the fact that it was in their function room and not the pub itself. The good news was we were able to get the kiddie fans on site - they rarely get to watch us perform as much they would like so it was good that they could participate this time round. The bad news unfortunately, was that not many pub regulars were there, and those who did come, remained in the main bar area all night. Not sure whether we were too loud, or whether it was assumed that it was a private function. It could simply be that they thought we were rubbish! I'd like to think not as the landlord and landlady assured us that the regulars that were there said we were good and that they would like us back at some stage in the future. Maybe in the winter months when trade picks up, will we see an increase in regular pub goers - Let's hope so as the O2 and Wembley arena's are not on the agenda in the very near future!
For the first time ever since we started out, we were not harassed for encores at this gig and it sent alarm bells ringing that perhaps people were getting a little bored. Discussions afterward subsided our fears and we were told not to be so f***ing stupid! By the end of the evening there was probably only a handful of people left, kids were tired and people simply wanted to get home. There were lots of drivers there this evening so hardly anyone was goonered which never helps. We need drunk people to get up and set the mood!
We'd like to take this opportunity one last time to thank Chaz, the stand in bass player for his faultless efforts, and to his own band Slack Harry for allowing us to borrow him! Our own bearded hero of bass has returned to us and we look forward to playing with Jock "The Rock" Block soon.

Brewers Arms - 25th July, 2009

Well.....fourth time back at the Brewers and still as exciting as ever! The pub was packed tonight due to it being Gorilla and Denise's 30th Wedding Anniversary. Congratulations to you both and many thanks for requesting that we play for your event - it was an honour and a most enjoyable evening.

The evening started in a relaxed manner whilst we were setting up, but then two rather important monitor leads appeared to be missing! Instant stress, without the monitors working properly, we wouldn't be able to hear each other and the music could have been a disaster. Three different people searched through the equipment but they were nowhere to be seen. Dan and Andy worked hard to find a work around but it simply wasn't going to plan. In a last attempt, whilst waiting for Chaz, our stand in bass player, Andy sat discretely in the corner and got his soldering iron out to make and repair another lead. All turned out ok in the end and the speakers worked perfectly. Chaz arrived around 845 and proceeded to set up his guitar and amp.
It was extremely hot again tonight, and despite loads of people retiring to the garden, the floorspace in the pub was still quite full. We kicked off with our usual "Pretty Vacant" and for the second gig in a row now since the leaving of Jock, we kicked off without sound checking! Not a good idea but time was against us and after a few feedback issues in the beginning rapidly rectified by our dedicated sound man Dan twiddling with his knobs on the desk, we continued without any major problems. There was lots of interaction with the audience tonight, with emphasis on Gorilla and his wife and people were dancing from quite early on. A first for our first set! We think that due to Gorilla being a biker, most of his guests at the pub were biker related and appreciated our style of music. I don't think there was one of us in the band that didn't enjoy performing at this gig and it showed. During the break, people commented on the fact that we looked like we were having fun and have gone from strength to strength since our very first performance in the Brewers six months ago. Our set list was shortened slightly, and was a repeat of the Wheelwrights last week with a few numbers that Chaz was unfamiliar with being dropped out, but we still managed to fill our time and run over with additional banter between songs. "Parklife" went down really well tonight and after nobody volunteered to come up on stage and help us out, we requested Gorilla come up and do the honours himself. He obliged not really knowing what he had to sing but after a practice run in the intro, he had it weighed off and did a fantastic job! It was great and as he was the host of the party, everyone came into the pub to watch and take pictures and video of him participating. Gorilla himself seemed to enjoy it which was great to see. Whilst he filled in the simple "Parklife" bits, the rest of the pub joined in with the chorus and it sounded superb. It's a great song when everyone gets involved. He also came up and joined in with "You Really Got Me" unprompted and his guests were pleasantly entertained.
We finished off with our usual "Johnny B Goode" with "Wipeout" in the middle and there simply wasn't enough dance space for everyone. It went down rewally well and after announcing that it was our last song of the evening, they all went wild shouting for more! Gorilla himself approached Beanz and said "I don't think I heard you right!". When the Gorilla says you haven't finished, you haven't finished! We already planned in advance that our first public performance of "Freebird" was going to be the encore song as requested by Gorilla but decided to do "Born To Be Wild" first. By now everyone was in good spirits and it was nearing midnight. Harley had his work cut out for him learning "Freebird" as the origional is some nine minutes long and has three guitars playing in it. We all know that had been worried about doing it for ages and both Beanz and Andy gave him continued support and assured him that if he played it live like he plays it in practice, it will go down a storm whether close to the origional or not.
A big cheer came from the pub as the inital notes were played, and suddenly the dance floor was full of couples slow dancing and group hugs moving in time for the music. As a band, we always said we should have a slow "ballad" style song to perform to give people the chance to slow dance and by jove I think we found it! That is until the second verse is over anyway and then it explodes into a deadly instrumental of which Harley truly displayed his talents with his awesome four minute guitar solo. The pub chanting his name on the closing notes was great to hear and he deserved the recognition for his hard work and efforts. To play "Freebird" with one guitar and even using the slide, is a feat for any talented musician and despite playing next to a pool table full of food which we thought may have put him off he did it and did it well! How do you play slide guitar and wipe the dribble from your chin all at the same time?
Overall it was another successful gig and was enjoyed by both the band and the audience. We want to thank Gorilla for asking us to play, there are loads of bands out there and he chose us. For that we are truly appreciative. Tanya, thanks for keep having us back and the food was lovely. We weren't sure if we were allowed any or not but Harley couldn't resist any longer!
Donk and Dan, cheers as always for your efforts. They don't go unoticed!
Another special mention to Chaz, for doing yet another suberb job filling in on the bass for us, but this week, the Man Of The Match award has to go to Harley for his amazing efforts on getting "Freebird" performed. You simply got on and done it, despite being worried for the first time and have no ego for us to contend with. You simply are a star and I am proud to be associated with you.

The Wheelwright Arms - 17th July, 2009

Tales of the unexpected! New pub with a new landlady in a new town with new people and a bass player that we met 10 minutes before going on stage! Shandy, the landlady of the Wheelwrights was given one of our cards and was the first person to use our online booking service. We would like to think that we were booked through reputation, which of course put us under pressure having lost Jock (our bass player) the day before. Like all bands, we wanted to make a good impression for our first appearance in this pub, in an attempt to secure more bookings in the future. Andy was in good spirits and full of confidence whereas Beanz and Harley were a little worried. We didn't doubt the Chaz (the fill-in bass player) could play the bass and play it well, however we were concerned over the fact that we are a covers band and many of the songs we do are not identical to the origional. Some have been extended, some shortened and some key changes to enable Beanz to sing them, and we didn't have enough time to brief Chaz before the show started. Origionally, we were contemplating with deep regret cancelling this gig, but after numerous phonecalls to various contacts that Andy knows in the business, he managed to find somebody who, by his own words, "loves to be chucked in at the deep end!"
We arrived at the pub around 700 and proceeded to set up. Dan and Donk were on hand to help as usual. We thought it only fair to pre-warn the landlady of our emergency change of line-up and simply explained that rather than let her down totally by cancelling, that we would endeavour to give her pub a good night and that it was unknown territory for us aswell as her.
By 830 we were set up and ready to go minus one bass player, but sure to his word, a mature man arrived, amp in hand and guitar on back with his "plug and play" attitude. He introduced himself to each of us and then worked with Dan to get his sound set up. We were due to go on at 845 so the remainder of the time was utilized by going through the set list with Harley explaining various differences and key changes to the songs. We mutually agreed that a couple of them that he had not managed to "you tube" and learn before he came should be dropped from the set, but fair play to the man - we did leave some in that he wasn't sure about and he did an awesome job improvising. The songs he did know were truly played really well and after the first two songs into the first set, both Beanz and Harley were put at ease by Chaz's talent. This was also the first pub gig that Beanz successfully completed without a music stand. He sung them all from memory which reflects the old saying that we are at our best when we are at our worst. Had we done the whole set, this may have been a different story. It's just coincidence that the songs Chaz didn't know, were the ones that Beanz needed words for. Feedback from the audience and our usual "groupie" crowd suggested that it was great and you'd never know that we hadn't played together before. The other factor that put us at ease was the fact that Chaz was very interactive with the audience and quite often we were bantering amongst ourselves and the crowd with some interesting and funny quotations which was welcomed as light hearted entertainment. At one point, Harley was giving a "live" guitar lesson on stage, and after having a laugh, quickly trying to put a song together, we all suddenly remembered that there was an audience in front of us waiting for some music. They took it well, understanding the issue and joined in with the banter.
The pub itself wasn't overly busy but not empty by a long shot. We found out later that on this particular night, every pub in Havant had some sort of entertainment on, and had they not, our pub probably would have had double the amount of people in it. Not blowing our own trumpet but it is so nice to overhear comments from strangers that "the band playing down the road were nothing on these guys!" - it makes all the effort worthwhile. Our music is not everybody's cup of tea but we certainly have had more positives than negatives about our performances and we still maintain that our set is broad enough for us to have at least one song for everyone.
We did get called back for an encore and of course obliged. Feedback from our last gig suggested that maybe "Baggy Trousers" by Madness was not the right song choice and we reverted back to Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" as requested by a couple of our groupies. Even after this one had finished, they asked for another and we would have finished on our usual "Vertigo" by U2 had we not run out of time. We had to be totally finished by 11pm due to the music licence and respect for the neighbouring old people home. Despite dropping a few of the songs out, we still filled our slot by longer intervals between songs, used to brief Chaz about what was coming next.
Dan, as usual did a good job making us sound good. The Wheelwright Arms has a reputation for being awkward accoustically and by all the instruments being MIC'd up and running through the mixing desk, Dan got our noise travelling all around the pub successfully. Keychelle did her bit and managed to sell some more "Kneeslider" keyrings, raising a further £18.00 for the Rowans Hospice. Another special thank you has to go to our No. 1 Groupie Wayne, and his partner in crime Gayvid who kept our spirits up with their comedy act! Keeping us smiling and laughing throughout the night with their stories, Michael Jackson impressions and interaction kept us at ease. Wayne was also a rock to Beanz, who was extremely apprehensive about gigging since the loss of Jock and drummed positiveness into him. He said simply in a cheezy manner "the show must go on. It will either be your best gig or your worst." As it happens it was neither but successful in so many different ways and the Landlady made it perfectly clear that we will be returning, as long as Beanz changed his t-shirt!!!!!
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Shandy for giving us the opportunity to perform at her pub and donating extra for the Rowans, Wayne and the posse for supporting us yet again, the people of the Wheelwrights for making us feel welcome, but most of all, Chaz. The bass player that stepped in at the last minute and did a fantastic job. Without you, the gig wouldn't have happened and we all look forward to maybe working with you again in the future.

Bye Jock :(

It is with deep regret that we have to announce that Jock "the rock" Block has decided to leave Kneeslider. Jock has been with us since January and has been playing superb bass right from our very first pub gig.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Jock for his valued input, efforts and support over the past six months and wish him and his family well for the future.

The Spotted Cow - 10th July, 2009

Another great night in Cowplain. We thoroughly enjoyed the last gig here and were looking forward to playing here again. The setting up was straight forward enough this time round and all done and sound checked by 830. Cool, time to chill out before going on. As always the pub was packed and with the addition of an in-house birthday party, there were lots of eyes upon us!
We kicked off around 900 with the usual "Pretty Vacant" and got claps from the off.
It was nice to see our regular posse supporting us again - right up the front rockin' it out as usual and stimulating the rest of the pub to join in.
Andy was in pain before playing, bless him - he has been busy moving house and shifting stuff for the last two weeks and his arms appeard to be seized. A few Bulmers later and the blame for his drumming could be shifted! Harley was on tender hooks as Guitar Hero Ginger Andy came to see us for the first time and apparantly loved it. Well done H, your hero was proud of you! Jock was Jock, in his world of 9 pints and 'avin' it large! Beanz managed to do the whole night with loads of mistakes as usual but was chuffed that he managed "My Sharona" all the way through with no words. The pat on the back from Jock was much appreciated!
There was lots of interaction this time round - laughing and joking and taking the piss out of each other and the audience. We were comfortable and feedback suggests that it was welcomed.
T-Rex's "I love To Boogie" had a further extension tonight, as Beanz didn't only introduce the band, he went on to recognise some of the unsung heroes that consistently show their support for us. It was great and even more pleasing, was for the first time ever, as each musician was introduced, they did their own amplified little bit to emphasize their instruments. A regular to our gigs even popped up on stage and introduced Beanz to everyone which was a first also!
Dan "Ratboy" did us proud again, and quite a few people commented on how good we sounded. Despite yet another technical problem with a dodgy MIC lead Beanz quickly nabbed Harley's this time and carried on as if nothing had happened! It was funny to watch Ratboy scrabbling around the floor sorting out the wiring whilst we were still playing. Before the song was finished, Beanz had one MIC in the stand and two unplugged in his hand which he tried to disguise by comically pretending they were maracas! Fooling no-one, it was obvious what was happening but extremely funny. "Sort it out Ratboy or you'll be getting a home visit from Rentokill!"
Keychelle and Shirl did us proud backing for "Ruby" again and it sounded like the whole pub was helping us with "Parklife" - superb!
We had a request to sing happy birthday to "Julie" to which we obliged and proceeded to invite her up to sing along to "You Really Got Me". Julie apparantly is a barmaid at the pub and well done girl, you did good!
A couple of time throughout the evening, we also played a few bars from Andy's own song to his girlfriend "Hey Little Mo'", which didn't go down too well with her stood at the bar! I guess there was no "rudies" for him when he got home!
Overall, it was another successful and most enjoyable evening and we thank everone for making us feel welcome. Thanks to Baz and his wife (the landlord and landlady) for giving us a second opportunity to play such a great pub, and for booking us again in September.

We also feel a special mention should go out to Keychelle who went all out to get rid of our promtional keyrings & pens etc. We managed to raise a further £30.00 for our charity, The Rowans Hospice. If you bought one - thanks a lot!
Just to close, if you happen to be the drunk man who tried to pluck Jocks strings whilst he was playing, consider yourself lucky! Our groupies saw and were on stand by, not to mention the fact that Jock had a spare guitar with him and would have thought nothing of smashing it across your head without even missing a note. Your ok fella, we've calmed him down and passed it on to a hit man instead - you got off lightly PMSL!

Brewers Arms - 13th June 2009

Well, back at the Brewers for the third time - can't be bad!
Overall, another successfull evening and considering all four of us were a little out of sorts, we enjoyed it - we hope you did too! Andy was extremely tired following a hard week of packing ready to move house and considering he has the most strenuous job in the band, hats off to him for his performance. Jock had bad guts for most of the day and felt a bit icky (hence he drove himself home this time!), again he played superbly and compliments at the end of the night confirm that both Andy and Jock on the rythum section play really well together. This was the first gig for a long time that Harley was chauffered and he took advantage and plied himself on the good 'ole Newkie Brown. - Unlike Jock who plays consistently no matter how much he has had to drink, Harley has a long way to go before he can keep up with the big boys! Beanz was just Beanz and had quite a few missed lines. There really is no excuse for forgetting words that you have been practising for weeks. Either the J2O was spiked or the Peroxcide from his new look went to his head!
Kerry, Shirl and Heidi did us proud again backing for "Ruby" and Mo and her posse filled in the blanks for "Parklife" - two songs that don't compliment our set list if no-one joins in!
Dan did us proud on the sound side again this time, utilising our new stereo power amp and managing not to blow all the electrics in the pub (ha ha - if you were at the Spotted Cow, you'd know what we're talking about)
Donk managed to stay awake and arrived on time to unload the van, and load it back up and was wearing his "roadie" t-shirt with pride bless him. He also stood guard of granny Beanz and kept her company whilst she came to see her little soldier perform.
Beanz also publicly gave Wayne the credit he deserved this week by giving him a special mention over the PA. Donk and Dan aside, he has been the most supportive of everyone in our entourage. Despite various cock-ups and the set not changing much at the moment, he continues to be there for us at every performance and we are extremely grateful. We dedicated "Little Willy" especially for him, a song he had forgotten about since his childhood after being nicknamed it from his Dad.
When we started playing the pub wasn't overly busy, and through the middle it started to pack out - unfortunately becoming empty again simply because it was so hot and everyone retired to the garden - not because they couldn't stand us i'd like to add! Because of this, reactions and feedback came at the end of the night instead of during the performance.
It was nice to see a few familiar faces again - it seems we are starting to get a bit of a following which is a good sign - spread the word, Kneeslider intend to be a force not to be reckoned with! (That's a figure of speech by the way - it's not a competition, it's about entertainment!)
We had lots of good feedback at the end of the night and it was reassuring and comlimentary that Tanya considers us "her band". We were the first band she booked, and her pub was our very first pub gig - we are always appreciative of her support in providing us not only with the consisitent opportunity to play in her pub, but also spreading the word about us to others.
We have a three week break now, after gigging every weekend for six weeks I think we deserve it! We shall return on the 10th July, back at the Spotted Cow and hope to see you there!
Cheers everybody - see you soon!

The Spotted Cow - 5th June, 2009

Well - what to write indeed other than "Rock and f*****g Roll !

All four of us had been looking forward to this gig for ages. The Spotted Cow in Cowplain is the pub to play in the area on a Friday night. It is quite a large pub and is bustin' from wall to wall on a good night. Tonight was no exception.

We arrived quite early and commenced setting up. We knew that it may take a bit longer as we were going to use our new power amp for the first time. Unloading the van was pretty quick as the "Donk" didn't fall asleep in the bath and arrived with the rest of us. Tensions started to get a bit high with setting up all the leads and stuff to the new amp which wasn't going 100% to plan. The technical stuff is best left to Andy and Dan who know what they are doing and Jock, Beanz and Harley are always concious of being in the way and becoming more of a hindrance than a help! Whilst Andy and Dan had a play with setting up the new amp, Beanz and Harley went outside for a bit, both admitting that whilst they had been looking forward to it for ages, actually at the moment, they felt like it was all going tits - up!

Jock on the other hand, refuses to get stressed out and found the ideal excuse to shoot off for a bit. He drove to the pub but as we all know, likes a drink whilst he's playing. Beanz offered him a lift home afterwards which then meant he had to leave his car overnight. Donk was on hand so Jock had the brilliant idea of taking the car home and returning on the back of Donk's 1200 Bandit. Splendid idea but would he make it back on time if at all on such a well looked after machine (that's sarcasm by the way!)

Andy and Dan finally found a workaround for setting up the new amp and Beanz and Harley continued to set up the bits that they knew how to do. Plugging MIC's in mainly. Jock arrived shortly after beaming from ear to ear and processed straight to the bar to get the beers in.

Set-up was almost complete and we ready for the sound check - the pub was heaving already and just to add to the pressure, sat directly in front of us was the lead singer, Darren and guitarist, Murph from Papparrazzi, a very well known and popular band on the circuit!

We sound checked with the usual "Teenage Kicks" and Dan adjusted accordingly. We then had a 20 minute chill out session before going on. The first set as always was slow to start (audience wise) but towards the end of it, they were warming to us - singing along and cheering etc despite some technical difficulties with the new equipment which packed up early on in the set.

During the break, Dan reverted the set-up back to the good old peavey amp - we might be overloading it but hey - tha'ts how we roll baby!

By the time the second set had started, you could hardly move in the place and they were definately on side. No song went without applause - the reaction from this audience was phenomenal and the guys lived for the moment. We had people joining in, dancing, cheering, all you would expect at a live performance and when we had finished, they screamed for more!

Time was against us as we went on a bit late for the second set but we agreed to do all three encores to top the night off. "Baggy Trousers" to start followed by "Born To Be Wild" and then our alltime favourite "Vertigo". The first verse went well and partway through the second there was a "pop" and everything went dead. What a way to finish! Last song and we blew the electrics in the pub - Now that's Rock 'n' Roll !!! Quite a few people were shouting at the landlord, assuming he had switched us off but this wasn't the case. A quick check that everything electrical was now off line comfirmed we blew it - yeah!

It took quite a while to break the gear down and re-load the van this time round as there were so many people wanting to talk to us - congratulating us on a good performance and general chit chat. The Landlord came straight over and shook our hands determined to get another date out of us there and then and the feedback from the guys from Papparrazzi was superb. We were expecting a little critism but they had nothing but praise for us and we thank them for their support and kind comments. That's great showmanship and no doubt we will go and support them sometime!

We'd like to say this was probably the best gig so far, and whilst you are probably bored with hearing this on every blog, it just goes to prove that we are obviously getting better - this comes from the feedback we are getting from the people who watch us and they, at the end of the day are the people that count.

WE SHALL RETURN

The Leopard 29th May 2009

We came, we played, we entertained, we ROCKED!
Upon arrival, there were three or four middle aged gentlemen sitting at the bar and no-one else. Mmmm-what a night this is going to be, but by the time we had finished setting up, there were a fair few people in the pub already on their way to to the land of pissed vision. Due to space restraints, Dan "the ratboy" decided that on this gig, only Beanz and a little bit of bass drum would be emitted from the PA. Beanz was worried about how this would sound, not having played with this set-up before but was assured by Jock and the rest of the guys that if anything, it would sound better. How true - we sound checked with the usual "Teenage Kicks" and even got an applause for it!
This response set the mood for the evening and put all of us at ease. I think all of us were nervous at first as once again, it was an unknown quantity. New band, new pub (under new management)and of course a new crowd consisting of an older generation. Quickly doing the maths, it was apparent early on that the material we play is more focused to this genre of people which probably brought teenage memories flooding back to them.
We can confidently say that no song went unrecognised and unresponsive at this gig, with many of the people singing along and jigging about. Both Andy and Jock were their usual selves, enjoying the moment and letting them have it with their superb rythum performance. Harley got stuck in and even used his new "slide" during "Tush". It sounded great. Beanz seemed a lot more comfortable and interacted with the crowd a lot more, actually laughing and joking with them at some points. His microphone was rarely in the stand at this gig which is always a tell tale sign of being comfortable and probably triggered our very first major technical set back. From the off, "My Girl" by Madness was a superbly executed mime and in the absence of vocals, you could really hear how tight Andy, Jock and Harley really are. Playing with the MIC lead connection throughout the song, Beanz faded in and out whilst "ratboy" acted quickly to retreive a replacement lead from the bag and swap it over during the instrumentl bit. Subsequently, the last verse went well and the crowd applauded nevertheless. These things happen and Beanz laughed it off with the audience on board, simply stating at the end that it was a song origionally recorded by Madness but with our own "Norman Collyer" element added to it! Looking back, he could have just grabbed Harley's MIC temporarily but hinesight is a wonderful thing and it was actually enjoyable making fun of the issue.
No volunteers for backing to "Ruby" this time round and Keychelle did a fantastic job on her own having not being given a choice in the matter!
Bazza did his bit, mingling with the people and finding out what the overall perception was. After a very enjoyable first set, he assured us that the more upbeat, dancey second section would be appreciated well and it was. Three encores were requested this time, despite us having orders to be done by 11.00. (The Leopard is situated within a residential area.)
Overall, this gig turned out to be one of the best so far and was enjoyed by all - band and audience alike. Moreover, it was FUN! The pub was full of friendly people who were more than happy to pat us on the back and chat about absolutely anything. We were asked for contact details by the newly appointed Landlord / Landlady and assured that we would be called back. ROCK ON!

The Brewers Arms - 23/05/09

Second time round and we were made to feel welcome again. Concious of the last performance at the Brewers, having been called back so many times and running out of material, our set list was bigger this time so we arrived earlier than before to ensure we could get all the gear set up and chill a bit before going on. There were quite a few people there when we arrived, even before our rowdy lot turned up, and being such a nice day, most were sat in the garden area enjoying a rare sunny Saturday afternoon pint. There were also a good few visitors from the nearby Military show. The tank printed t-shirts were a dead giveaway! Cool, the more the merrier! We have managed to get the set-up time down to about an hour and a quarter now, so Andy, Jock and Harley took advantage of some free time and went and got some food. Beanz, typically drank a further 4 litres of water and smoked 20 fags in preperation!

As mentioned previously, we have varied the set up a little bit and put some of the faster numbers in the first half. Kicking off with "Pretty Vacant" this time round got more of a response, and set the mood for the evening. Despite some interesting noises coming from Harley, (who was suffering chronic earache), and some timing issues with Beanz singing, I don't think there was a song in the first half that didn't get a response......oh....hang on.....maybe one.......The Seeker by The Who, but then Beanz was so het up about not missing a verse as he did in the Rainbow last week, he actually managed to sing the third verse twice in error. The normal "Do you think they noticed" question need not have been asked as it appeared that the whole pub was looking at him with expressionless faces. Paranoid went a bit wrong at the start too but hey-ho! It was fun trying to catch each other up and at the end of the day, we are not professional rock stars......we're human beings!!! (rephrase, just in case we prompt any court proceedings here)........we're just four guys who perform for the fun of it!

What was also nice, was to see two lady's from our last gig at the Rainbow walk in. I'm not sure if they drink in the Brewers anyway, or whether they came because we were there but it made us feel good either way! Rock on chicks!

Unprompted, Beanz actually spoke quite a lot on this gig. Concious and self critical about being boring to watch he tried to get the audience on side and even managed to get three of the groupies to do the backing for "Ruby" which sounded a lot better than when we try to do it alone. Well done Keychelle, Dil and Shirl - you've got full time jobs on gig nights!!! Once again, he also did a little jig through "Johnny B Goode" whilst "Wipeout" was playing through the middle. He apologises for this and simply says "The music moves me, but it moves me ugly!"

Dan did a good job setting us up again, overcoming some technical issues and Donk actually got a mention by the band and was applauded by everyone for his continued support in loading / unloading the van and simply.......just being there. There were a few in the audience that have also been to all or most of our gigs and we apologise for not mentioning you this time round. It's not intentional and it will happen! One person I will mention though is PJ. Our littlest fan. Walking in and rocking out with ya' little guitar put us to shame - thanks for that mate!

Andy also kept the fun by periododically squirting people with a water pistol. Wise decision with all that electrical stuff around! - Death by stereo!!! Once over the initial shock of being squirted in the back of the head, it was actually quite nice having cool water running down the back of my neck. Despite us not using the disco lights this time, it was still very warm where we were standing. Jock was also in good spirits and playing extremely well considering he was sober!!! Beanz actually managed to get his attention by smiling, lip curling and headbanging through the instrumental bits. If Jock smiles back at you, you know you're all right.

Overall, another successful evening we think. A few hiccups, but people were entertained and that's what it's all about. We did see quite a few camera's on us and would be very grateful if you could send any piccies you may have captured to info@kneeslider.net so that we can publish them on this site.

Once again, thanks to everyone who came, and to those who continue to show support for us.
A special thanks to Tanya, the landlady of the Brewers for giving a new "unknown" band, the opportunity to play for a second time in her pub, and making it worthwhile at the end.

The Rowans Hospice

Just to let you all know, that we now proudly support the above organisation. Please visit our charity page for more details.

The Rainbow - 15th May, 2009

After Andy's repairs to the monitor speakers, all went well sound wise this time round. Levels were great and despite the pub being empty (other than a couple of regulars and a handful of our own) we had a good time. Our groupies did their best to make some noise and we appreciated it!
Two or three of the pub regulars were dancing away in the second set so the night wasn't a failure. We treated it as a practice session and put it down to experience. For the first time ever since performing publicly, Harley, Andy and Jock performed a truley awesome "make it up as you go along" jamming peice whilst Beanz retired for a sneaky break. This can be seen / heard in the gallery and could probably go down well in the set permanently in the future.

The Woodman - 25th April, 2009

We arrived at the pub to find the car park full to the brim. Our first thoughts were "my god, it's heavin!!! Upon entering the pub to introduce ourselves and obtain permission to start setting up we were greeted by a packed pub all merrily drinking away shouting and screaming. Nobody in the band realized it was live football afternoon and most of the the crowd were loud and drunk!
At this point, we felt a little intimidated to say the least but continued to set up never the less.
Needless to say, we didn't experience any trouble and they were a good, cheerful crowd just out to enjoy a chilling afternoons footy. By the time the van was unloaded, a lot had left as the game had finished and the place seemed empty rather quickly. It was a good two hours before the set-up was finished and by then the evening crowd had started to filter in through the doors. The pub wasn't overly packed but busy. We did our sound check with "Teenage Kicks" this time which seemed to go down ok. A few claps were heard afterwards. Dan did us proud again setting and mixing it all up. We had time to chill before we had to go on, so we took advantage and Beanz retired outside to smoke a fag or ten, whilst Harley emptied his bowels for the third time that day and Andy and Jock took advantage of a free pint or two.
The band had all agreed that our origional set layout appeared too much "nothing in the first half and balls out in the second" so during our weekly rehearsal we rejigged the set to vary it up a bit. This proved to be successful and we will continue to use the current format until more songs have been learnt to filter them in one at a time. We kicked the night off this time with one of our favourites, "Pretty Vacant" and we could see a few heads moving around and lips following along to the words which is good to see. During the whole evening, we were experiencing technical difficulties with some of the equipment. Beanz monitors kept cutting out (not good as he is deaf anyway!), Harley couldn't be heard by any of the band, Andy struggled to hear either of us and Jock, well he was his typical merry just go-along-with-it happy self with his toes hanging out of a pair of flipflops! A lot of the songs, we struggled as we couldn't hear each other properly and the timing was out for a few, not to mention a few words forgotton, but hey-ho, we got through it and we don't think there was one song that didn't get a positive reaction from the audience. For us this was good as unusually there was only a handful of our own mob there. This meant that the majority of clapping and cheering that we did hear, came from the regulars of the pub. They must have liked us!
Once again, we closed off and got asked to do two more. We finished playing at around 1145 and the Landlord approached us and said "Look lads, take this as a compliment, we never let bands play this late usually. Please do us one more". This is always a good sign and of course, we obliged. We came off stage at around 1155 and retired outside to cool off. We cooked again under those lights of Andy's but it was well worth it. The Landlord came out to thanks us and said we were very good, offering us three more dates before Christmas. Friday nights aswell, which i am led to believe is busier than Saturdays. Thanks to everyone who showed up to show your support and another special mention to Donk, who after arriving late due to falling asleep (no surprises there) helped us yet again to break down the gear, carry and load it into the van. Diamond geezer!
Despite it being our first gig where the majority of the audience were strangers, and some technical difficulties, we enjoyed ourselves performing and hope that the rest of the pub enjoyed listening. We will definately be looking forward to playing in the Woodman again. Thanks for the opportunity!

Loomies Cafe - 12th April 2009

We couldn't make up our minds whether the crowd weren't keen, or whether it was because it was a small crowd spread out in a large area that sort of made it difficult, but feedback at the end of the night confirms that most enjoyed us.......
This was our first outside gig and unlike last week, we were not cooking under Andy's lights. Harley and Jock struggled to strum and Beanz voice took a downward turn towards the end of some of the songs....It was cold to say the least. Andy, we assume was the only one who managed to keep warm, but then he does have a habit of jumping around on his drum kit like a madman........true kneeslider stylee! Give him a shiny helmet and some drumsticks and he's off like a ??????
Simon and Dan did a fantastic job setting us up and the set-up looked proper professional. Well done guys, you did us proud! At one point, we thought the tiny village of West Meon was wiped out by the amperage Simon was draining from the grid to power all those lights and speakers! Turns out it was Leon's genny playing silly buggers!
Another "cheers mate" goes out to our old friend Donk - Utilising your muscle in getting the gear transported from the van to set was a godsend!
We were looking forward to this gig and it was venturing into the unknown. Being only our third public gig since we started and still learning. This was also an opportunity for Mr and Mrs Loomies to measure the reactions and see if a full licence to host live music on a regular basis was feasable. Speaking to them at the end of the night it was apparant that they loved it, as did their customers and they will be making enquiries to obtain the necessaries to get it going. They have asked us back too which can't be bad!
It was great to see Kerry, Dil, Crazy L and Jax doing their bit up the front yet again true groupies style! We knew we could count on you guys to show 'em how it's done and another special mention to our littlest fan P.J. You rock little fella and you can come up and shake hands and ask for "again, again" as many times as you like. That's how we roll baby!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who turned up to show their support and especially Leon & Jane once again for giving us the chance to play, and for all their efforts behind the scenes to make it happen.
In short, we set out to establish whether or not live music would be appreciated by the regulars at the cafe, and for Leon & Jane to establish whether or not it was a worthwhile project to venture into. It came good on both counts so the evening was a success in our book, regardless of how we played!
Roll on the summer - there is fun to be had doing this lark!

Brewers Arms - 4th April 2009

Wow - what a night! A bit of a nerveracking, shaky start but all turned out great in the end. What an awesome night. We were cooking under those lights of Andy's and to be called back for no less than six encores was a fantastic experience. It was hard as we had run out of material. Instead we re-ran some of the set as requested by the nutters in front of us boogying the night away!
This was our first "general public" gig and although we took a fair few of bods with us, everyone seemed to enjoy it immensly.
We'd like to thank all of our friends and "groupies" who attended and showed their support, Tanya at the Brewers for giving us the opportunuy to play, Dan for helping us out with the sound and everyone else who made it an evening for us to remember. Needless to say, we will be back and have agreed between us that the set needs a bit of jiggin' and definately a lot more material to add in so watch this space.
Hope to see you all soon...........:)

Kneeslider - Origional or not?

So, the gigs are starting to come in and we have spent a bit of money on a snazzy backdrop and our own poster making equipment etc etc...........and then Andy has this bright idea of "Do you think we better check that the name isn't taken!"
We look at each other and gulp....................A quick visit to bandname.com confirms that it is not in use. We both give a sigh of relief and register straight away.
It's official people..............we are the one, the only, "Kneeslider!"
A copy of our certificate can be seen on the Biography page - check it out!