Off back to the old country...

No more work for two weeks or so!

I'm heading back to South Wales on Tuesday, so I have about 5 hours on a train  ahead of me. Maybe if I get a train with powerpoints so I can at least do something useful on the way, and grab my laptop and get some guitar stuff written up.

Lot's more guitar stuff on the way anyhow.

Hopefully if I can sort it around family stuff I can get some drinking done with the very excellent FOREVER VENDETTA  and a few friends but I might end up stuck in the house... we'll see.

I'm looking forward to Christmas day when I get to expand my collection of Great Frog rings with a rock-tastic Ace of Spades ring thanks to Hellie. Too much silver for one hand!
I'm quite tempted to see if I can get the Treble clef tattoo I've been wanting on my right hand done cheaper than in London while I'm down there, tattooing is quite a bit cheaper out in the sticks, so I might get it done if it's not too much cash.

I should really try and take a guitar with me as well, since a week without practicing is just too long, but I think I'll have to wait and see how much crap I'm carrying, plus there must be an old one still kicking around at my mum's house, even if it is a 15 year old budget Jackson with no strings.

Anyhow, goodbye London, arse end of nowhere South Wales here I come

DIATONIC SCALES: Three note per string shapes, with modal spellings.

DIATONIC SCALES: Three note per string shapes, with modal spellings.

Just another quick revision resource.

These are the three note per string patterns for diatonic scales. I've also included the modal spellings for each of the Greek modes so you can see what harmony is created if you use the modes starting on each of the seven notes of the scale.

If that doesn't make sense, don't worry, there will be a lessons explaining modes, diatonic scales, key signatures and so on coming soon.

KEEP SCROLLING FOR THE FREE DIAGRAMS!

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The Notes on the Guitar Fretboard

The Notes on the Guitar Fretboard.


Nothing very exciting, but quite useful.


Just a quick diagram of the notes on the guitar fretboard laid out as sharps and as flats.


Plenty more free guitar resources to come so keep an eye out.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF ALL THE FREE GUITAR RESOURCES ON MY BLOG!

THE SOHO COBRAS: The story so far...

We've had a couple of rehearsals now and it's all going quite well. I'm looking forward to getting into a rehearsal studio though and running through stuff loud and snotty soon. We've got about six songs ready to go so we'll easily be gigging in the new year.

Me singing is going...OK, but I'm still hoping we can find somebody who will give it a go. We kind of got knocked a bit because we had Ray lined up to try out, but obviously with what happened that didn't happen.

I don't want to sound like an ego maniac, but I guess I really like being good at things... so I'm not sure how happy I am about singing if it's only OK, not bad, just unexceptional. Playing the guitar is my thing. I'm sure it will get better a few more rehearsals in but right now, it's just sounding alright. Dave still has to give it a go as well, so that might work out.

Having said that, if we're faced with a choice between me doing it or waiting around for maybe a year to find a singer, then I'll be there.

Watch this space.

In the meantime, here are some pictures of tits:

PENTATONIC SCALES FOR ELECTRIC GUITAR: A Brief Introduction.

PENTATONIC SCALES FOR ELECTRIC GUITAR:
A Brief Introduction.

Some more free guitar stuff... 

 








THE LESSON HAS BEEN REVISED AND REPUBLISHED. CLICK HERE FOR NEW VERSION.

Free Downloadable Pentatonic Scale Diagrams

Free downloadable Pentatonic Scale diagrams...

I've started writing up all the notes I give to guitar students so rather than getting a photocopy of something I wrote in the back of an envelope when I was 19 and figuring all this stuff out myself I can just print off or hyperlink to resources when I need to give stuff out

Since I'm going to be typing up all this stuff anyway, I guess I may as well stick it all online free for anyone who's interested.

There will be a lot more stuff to come, so these basic diagrams showing where your fingers should go when you play the Major and Minor Pentatonic scales will be the first of many free resources to come.

If these diagrams don't make any sense to you, don't worry CLICK HERE FOR A A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE PENTATONIC SCALE.

There is a much more thorough introduction to Pentatonic Scales on the way shortly, but once that is done, then I don't really care what order  write the stuff up in, so if there is anything that anyone would like some help with guitar wise then I'm open to suggestions, so leave a comment here or on FACEBOOK and if I have some stuff on it, I'll put that up next.

 EDIT:
I'm updating all the older free stuff on the blog to sexy new diagrams. I'm editing things at the old urls like this because I've linked to the resources in loads of places.
Don't forget that there is a ton of FREE stuff on my site already and this new software has inspired me to go crazy moving forward.
The widget that used to diplay them as a downloadable pdf kept crashing, so they are here as jpegs instead.

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They look like a cartoon impression of Hell’s own house band...

The latest issue of Nightshift just came out and features a review of the PISTOL KIXX live ep.
It does make me a bit sad to be getting such good press after we broke up, but hey, these things happen.
You can of course buy the glorious "Live in Camden town" EP on cd for a pittance + P&P HERE .
Or if you feel like downloading it you can get the whole thing for free at last.fm.

Still, it's nice to end on a good note I guess and the new band will start rehearsing in a week or so, so it's all good!

PISTOL KIXX
‘Live’
(Own Label)
When Pistol Kixx played the Oxford Punt back
in May a few people questioned whether we’d
picked them as a joke, pointing to the bandannas
and leathers and the classic-bordering-on-cliché
rock riffs they kicked out with wild abandon. Such
people, of course, miss the point that within the
band lies a punk rock spirit that far cooler, more
career-minded bands will never ever possess. Of
course they look like a cartoon impression of
Hell’s own house band. So does Lemmy. So did
The Ramones. Of course they’ve nicked most of
their riffs wholesale from The New York Dolls
and The Stooges. So did Motley Crue and Hanoi
Rocks. That’s all part of the fun.
Because let’s not deny that Pistol Kixx are fun.
And if rock’n’roll is about anything else, we must
have missed that particular meeting.
So, anyway, here is the band’s debut release, an
eight-track live mini-album. Within its half-hour
you get dirty old whisky-fuelled bar-blues,
growling, speed-punk, needless guitar solos, lyrics
that reference strip clubs, drag queens, syringes,
booze and ladies’ more intimate parts and a raw
recreation of the band’s live energy. No free
bandanna with every copy, sadly, but perhaps they
can do a limited edition version later on. It’s
sleazy and unrefined, the whole thing sounds like
it could have been made any time over the past
40 years and makes no pretence to offer anything
other than cheap thrills. And for that, Pistol
Kixx, we salute you.
Dale Kattack

Nightshift Sept 2009

‘As soon as they launched into their first track it was obvious this was going to be awesome’ the last PISTOL KIXX review...

I just came across what will be I guess the last PISTOL KIXX live review. Check out this months OXFORDSHIRE MUSIC SCENE. I guess it's cool to end on such a good review, and I even got my glorious sideburns into the magazine which is making me smile more than it should.

Hopefully we'll all be back out there playing live in various bands as soon as possible. I for one am itching to get out there and play lot more guitar behind my head, like the show off twat I am!
Full review below:

Pistol Kixx prepared to rip our
ears from our heads. After our
earlier listening delights this was
tantamount to Damien Rice
warming up for Lamb of God –
one of the great things about
every Punt. As soon as they
launched into their first track
with a snarl and a swagger, it was
obvious that this was going to be
awesome. “F****** hell, it’s a
Wednesday” were lead singer
Carli Hart’s first utterances, and
he was right night would have been more
forgiving to this assault of sleaze
ridden guitars and bleachwrecked
vocals. They gave their
all – falling around each other
and off the stage into the
audience not giving a damn, it
was as rock n’ roll should be.

OXFORDSHIRE MUSIC SCENE, Issue 6, Summer 2009

PISTOL KIXX has broken up...

We had what turned out to be our last gig last week.

There had been some tension for a while, but then again if you make 5 ego-maniacs hang out in close proximity that will always happen.

I thought we were going to be all ok, but after half a song, Dave stormed off stage after a bit of a rant from Carl.

We finished the show with just me on guitar, then there was some shouting and people screaming "You fired" like Alan Sugar on speed at each other...

Next day Me, Dave and Colin decided to form THE SOHO COBRAS, Stevi decided he was up for it as well so we'll be writing and rehearsing new stuff soon. We'll be using a a few PISTOL KIXX songs and rewriting a few so we're not using Carl's lyrics. Carl will I'm sure be starting a new band very soon as well.

See you soon at a dingy venue near you!

Long live THE SOHO COBRAS!

My Babies...

We've had a few weeks off rehearsal and gigging while everyone has been on holiday and going to festivals, so nothing has really been going on. I'm getting a bit tetchy now and I'm looking forward to rehearsing and playing live again after the "summer break."

What I have been doing though is taking pics of my lovely guitars.

So for your viewing pleasure here is my lovely LAG Roxane collection:

This one is an early 20oo's Roxane Classic. In a natural finish. All stock except for chrome himbucker surrounds.


This one is a Roxane RS1000 in tobacco burst. Again all stock except for chrome humbucker surrounds.

This one is a Roxane RF1000 in Cherry Sunburst. Lovely maple top and it's packing Seymour Duncan P-90 pickups. I haven'y gigged this one yet, but I think that will change next month when we support the Gypsy Pistoleros.

OXFORD PUNT review in NIGHTSHIFT

First print review of the oxford punt in the June 2009 Nightshift.

It was a night of good wholesome fun and we did get about 20 seconds of interview airtime on BBC Radio oxford which was cool.

I'm really looking forward to the next couple of gigs which should be really interesting...

We're not... :-)

"Live in Camden Town" EP Review

There I was innocently googling myself when I found a review of the Live EP "Live in Camden Town" which you can download for FREE here.

I was really pleased to see some good press outside Oxford, so word is starting to spread. You can check out the review here, or just scoll down an inch or two and have a read.

PISTOL KIXX - LIVE IN CAMDEN CD

 

Live albums are supposed to be packed with the raw emotions and loud energy that was displayed when the band stepped out in front of their baying crowd. It should be a cementing fact to the followers of the band and never an intention to gain virgin listeners. This download album does everything it is supposed to. Crank it up loud and you feel that you are there, down at the front among the sweaty, Jack Daniels soaked mass. Pistol Kixx are the epitome of the sleaze punk genre and obviously put both barrels of energy into their live gigs.

Sounding like a moshpit of The Almighty and The Wildhearts mixed with a massive double whiskey shot helping of The New York Dolls for good measure, Pistol Kixx’s previous support slots with names such as Tyla and The Dogs D’amour only prove they’re worth their salt.

This live EP which was recorded in front of a highly charged Camden audience is as is just a taste of what the self confessed, dirty, booze fuelled rock monsters have to offer. Each song sees frontman Carli Hart firing out sex mad lyrics, over songs with titles such as ‘Back door beauty’ and ‘Strip club skank’. They don’t try to change the world, or make a political stance, instead they just remind you what Rock n Roll should be all about.

If you want to hear something that invokes your senses with the smells of leather jackets, spilt drinks, stubbed out cigarettes and smoke filled bars on the wrong side of town (even with a smoking ban?) then this is your medicine.

                                                                                                                                                              

WORDS HANNAH NUTTER

First review from The Oxford Punt

I just found the first review from The Oxford Punt.

It was a great gig, best fun I've had in a long time but it was a bit much having to go to work then run out, get a bus to Oxford, play, drink, then get a bus back to London. I crawled in the front door at nearly 1-00am, but it was worth it.

The Purple Turtle in Oxford was absolutely rammed full. best crowed for PISTOL KIXX yet I think.

Any how, enough waffle, here's the review:

All big hair, bandanas, tattoos and piercings, the foul-mouthed,
entertainingPistol Kixx provide the night's 'blue' in the dingy, pokey
surrounds of thePurple Turtle. Reviving the punk-rock spirit of the
likes of the Ramones and New York Dolls, the band pout, swear
and musically self-pleasure in the form
of rock legend guitar riffs, flaunting their sleazy musical
wares like some cheap tart.

Joby Mullens the-fly.co.uk (May 2009)

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PISTOL KIXX "Live in Camden Town" Review

The live EP (well actually just a two track teaser) got reviewed in the latest issue of NIGHTSHIFT. (Hopefully full ep review to follow)

Another great review, I'm not too sure I like the idea of looking, "like a bizarre cross between Hanoi Rocks and The Wurzels." even if it does make me smile, but they do pull it back and push my smile into overdrive with, " (if) you get off on the idea of Motorhead, New York Dolls and the first Motley Crue album, with songs about strip clubs and lyrics about sex, drugs and rock’n’roll, then you’ve just met your new saviours."

We don't even bribe them :-) it's just nice that somebody gets it!

Any how, here's the review in full:

When we say the best thing about Pistol

Kixx’s new demo is the accompanying

photo, we’re not being rude. It really is a

great photo. They look like a bizarre cross

between Hanoi Rocks and The Wurzels. As

for the music, they’ve reined the high

fidelity in even more than usual with a nobudget

live recording, but such is their

rough’n’raw, no-frills approach to sleazy

glam-punk, you’d barely notice the

difference. In fact, you could offer them an

entire week in Abbey Road studios and

they’d still kick it all out in fifteen minutes

with no overdubs and spend the rest of the

time necking cider and whisky and eating the

potted plants. If you’re already aware of

Pistol Kixx, you know what to expect; if

not, and you get off on the idea of

Motorhead, New York Dolls and the first

Motley Crue album, with songs about strip

clubs and lyrics about sex, drugs and

rock’n’roll, you’ve just met your new

saviours.

Nightshift demo review - May 2009



CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF ALL THE FREE GUITAR RESOURCES ON MY BLOG!

...ooze the spirit of punk rock

We just got a great write up in NIGHTSHIFT. We're playing at the OXFORD PUNT, which is the Oxford equivalent of the Camden Crawl, about 20 bands at 4 venues for one great night of live rock n roll fun.

Make sure you're in Oxford on Wednesday the 13th of May

It's going to be a great night, I'm really looking forward to it. but for now, here's the write up:

And just in case you needed a

short, sharp attack on the senses to get you going,

first up are PISTOL KIXX, a band who look like a

cross between Hanoi Rocks and The Wurzels and

positively ooze the spirit of punk rock from every

whisky-sozzled pore. Heck, they’ve even got a singer

going under the name Sober Dave, who we suspect

enjoys a small tipple or ten when he and his band

aren’t thrashing the unholy spirits of Motorhead,

Motley Crue and New York Dolls to within an inch

of their lives. Admirable behaviour.

Nightshift May 2009

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF ALL THE FREE GUITAR RESOURCES ON MY BLOG!

A long time ago in a venue far far away... DUST:RETOX

I was having a clear out the other day when I found a blank cd-r that I had obviously "put somewhere safe." I stuck it in the computer and much to my suprise I found some live footage from a DUST:RETOX show.

It was a show at the Underworld in Camden as main suport to Sheep on Drugs on the 3rd of may 2003.
It was the first live show after D.U.S.T. had changed their name to DUST:RETOX. I think we only did about three or four shows as DUST:RETOX before we changed the name and PORNOVURT was born.

The footage is shaky and the sound is awful. We had a few technical issues and Paulo who was controlling the synths and drums kept fucking up, but it was still a great of night shirtless fun.

We drank a bottle of tequila before going on stage and I had used a whole can of spray glitter on my chest, Sheep on Drugs had chucked the other bands out of backstage so they could "get ready," so we got pissed off and covered their rider in red spray on hair colour. All good wholesome fun!

Anyhow, here's the video:






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The drunkest most shambolic yet strangely fun gig ever!

We played at what is now my favourite glam/sleaze night a few weeks ago. All hail WHISKY at the Golden Cross in Coventry. It's really cool to play somewhere that the promoter really makes an effort. The room looked great and was full of scantily clad "Whisky Girls" and drunk folk off all descriptions.

Having said that, despite the fact that the night was amazing, the gig itself was a bit of a shambles as the video will show. It turns out that Dave had started drinkingat 9-00am a full 13 hours before we went onstage which with hindsight might not have been such a good idea, but hey, you live and learn. We did have a few technical niggles as well, it was my first gig with my new wireless system and that was giving me a few problem. Rob's advice for the day, NEVER fucking EVER play a gig with a new bit of kit that you haven't plugged in before going on stage. I'll be making sure I have at least one rehearsal to get use to anything I gig with from now on.

We have been invited back though, so when we play again in August we'll definitely be saving the free booze for after we play or maybe just not touch it til an hour before we go on. It was still a fun gig, but not quite the peformance we would have wanted to give. By the last song Steevi had broken 2, yes 2 bass strings and Dave was so fucked that he wasn't playing at all! We still made it through FDR the last track with just one guitar, drums and vocals. Highlights included Dave falling over and even chucking his guitar on the floor.

What a fucking bunch of rock heroes :-)

So here's some fun but very messy live footage from Whisky at The Golden Cross in Coventry.

This is "Shit's going down." 

and this is "FDR" with pretty much just one guitar drums and vocals

and here are some pics.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF ALL THE FREE GUITAR RESOURCES ON MY BLOG!