Welcome to the Gorilla Blog, aka Mick’s Blog.

Over the coming months and years, I hope to call out to you and reach something inside you that resonates like a tuning fork being plucked by a burly fellow with a sledgehammer. Failing that, I hope you get something out of this little muse off into the sunset I’m embarking on. It’s difficult to think that anyone would be genuinely interested in the ramblings of a twittering behemoth like me, but here it is for the entire world to see.

Mick

Countryside Recording – September 2006

In September, the final push was on for the last of the 3 recording sessions in 2006. The last drum parts were recorded and eagerly awaited the ‘music’ to complete the picture.

The venue would be Whalton, where due to the remoteness and size of Neil’s parents’ house, it was possible to create a ridiculous amount of noise without incurring the wrath of any neighbours. Right on!

Neil, in a fit of superhuman zest, managed to record the drums, whip down his studio and transport it deep into the heart of the Northumberland countryside, ready for the creative stylings of the rest of the band to be captured. Quite an undertaking, make no mistake. The equipment was in situ and I left Neil to assemble the maze of wiring, whilst I headed off home, content in the knowledge that work on the drum tracks was done and only percussion lay ahead for me.

In order for Neil to record the amount of tracks required to produce Gorilla Tactics, he had to create a recording snake. A recording snake is a bit like an anaconda of rock. It lies in between 3 rooms, stopping doors from being able to close and tripping people up. It has some other function, but it escapes me at the moment.

During the first day of recording in Whalton, a leisurely feeling took us as we languished in the garden, drinking tea and waxing lyrical about all manner of things. A nearby neighbour popped round to check on us and feed the plants or something. A jolly old lady with a very pleasant manner about her. She left us with one parting shot of wisdom, “Don’t trust the postman”. I believe it was made in reference to the postman’s apparent lack of interest in closing the gate behind him, creating a somewhat unsafe environment for the resident little doggies, as there was a great big main road immediately outside the gates. The words “Don’t trust the postman”, echoed around the garden with some mystical hidden meaning behind them. It set a precedent which would be taken full advantage of as the week rolled on.

The following list was also spewed forth into being by similar scenes of hilarity and bemusement. We thought some of them might be good album titles, but wised up shortly afterwards.

The List:

Don't Trust The Postman - Old Lady

One Cheeky Sentence - Paul
Truncheon Meat - Neil
MeatPipe - Neil
Scuttle - Paul
Bus Dodger - Mick
Pep it up a snatch - Mick
T*ts Ahoy - Mick
Powdered Lamb - Mick
Sniff the Barmaid – Neil (don’t try explaining that one to the missus!)
Linty - Mick
Slappy Tappy Sandwich - Mick
Bedroom Gymnastics - Neil
Pipe Up - Paul
Hairy Tube - Mick
Furry Tunnel - Mick
Driving Meat - Neil
B*stard Runner - Neil
Peanut Parker (nothing new here, but consider a little man sitting atop a giant peanut, a bit like a tractor, looking over his shoulder, reverse parking said giant peanut into a tight space....)
The Day I Discovered My Tool - Mick
Milk Yourself - Mick
Chromatic Death - Mick
Asbo Cockerel - Andy
Unpleasant Pheasant - Graham
Thinking Man's Dancing - Mick
I Was Just Fingerin' or Just Fingerin' - Paul
Metal Creeper - Neil
Avoid the G-String - Paul
Troubling the Rooster - Mick

The manner in which these gems came about was often in the most innocent of situations, but something called out to me to collect them, as they would one day have a big part to play in the band’s destiny. We’ll see…

Back to the recording story anyway.

As Paul settled in for the search for the best guitar sound he could conjure up, I set about exploring the grounds with my camera. It was a lovely day, and to cement the memory firmly in my head (and most likely a few other people’s too!), I took this picture of myself, performing an ancient good luck ritual with a couple of members of the garden furniture. (Nice movers incidentally. They really can shake a leg when it comes to it!).

Back in the house, where the real work was going on, Paul had blazed down a load of guide tracks in preparation for the arrival of Graham the following morning. (What a pro!).

The rest of the day ebbed away as we contemplated what we’d have for dinner whilst I contemplated how much to drink before calling it a night, as I had to pick Graham up in Morpeth the following morning. (Very rock and roll I hear you cry)

More fun and frolics with the band in the next part of Countryside Recording – September 2006.

I bet you can barely wait…