I'm Just A Singer In A Rock And Roll Band

Who the hell sang that song? Was it The Moody Blues? (Showing my age.) I’ll look it up later!

I remember going to see them when I was pregnant with my second baby. I took my mother because my husband had left me for some skank he worked with and moved to Queensland.

Do I sound bitter? I don’t mean to be. Oh, I hated him by then. I used to go to bed and pray that he’d get killed while he was out drunk one night. My chances were reasonable; he was an awful drunk and was that way most of the time.

Oh well!

Life, as they say, moves on.

Bloody hell. Now I’ve forgotten what I was going to blog about!

Oh—that’s right. The band.

Apparently, I’ve got to practice; which I'm not great at... and some of us are still trying to remember which chord comes after C.

I thought being in a band involved turning up, playing a few songs and perhaps drinking something afterwards.

It does not.

There are songs to choose, chords to learn, rehearsals to organise, photographs to take, blogs to write, logos to design and people living thousands of kilometres apart who somehow need to sound as though they’re all in the same room.

It’s practically a full-time job—and nobody is paying me.

Still, after everything life has thrown at me, being in a slightly chaotic rock and roll band seems like a rather good place to have ended up.

Even if I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing.

Being in a Band Is Apparently a Full-Time Job

I always thought being in a band involved playing music.

Apparently, it involves group messages, photographs, logos, blogs, song lists, rehearsals, travel arrangements and trying to find one weekend when everyone is available.

The actual music seems almost incidental.

Our band, Dog Latin Musical Collective, sounds very impressive on paper. We have guitarists, ukulele players, a cellist, violinist and percussion. In reality, half of us are trying to remember which song we agreed to learn, and I am hoping nobody notices that my ukulele contribution remains largely decorative.

Distance doesn’t help. Some of us live in Geelong, others in Melbourne, Queensland and Western Australia. A casual rehearsal therefore requires the organisational skills of an international summit.

Then there are the promotional photographs and the blog, which I manage because I am apparently the least musical and had to make myself useful. We now have logos, mugshots and criminal aliases despite not yet having played a proper gig.

Being in a band is about 10% music and 90% administration.

But I bloody love it. I love the ridiculousness, the laughter and the excitement of hearing a song slowly come together.

One day, we may even get around to playing some music.

Hard To Be Glamours While Puking...

I have been sick with unusual frequency this year. And Hell; I'm not at the age of 'on my last legs' yet! I just joined a rock band!!! 

I'm just barely getting over a two-week cold when low and behold; I get a weird energy thing, lack of hunger and puking when I did eat.

It's beginning to annoy me. 

Stupid brain told me that after 29 brain operations - and probably more since I have them every couple of years... that I had done sickness to death. I would be exempt from other sicknesses.  Sadly, that is proving to not be the case.  I seriously do not know why I listen to it. It's been out of action 29 times! Time 10 was a doozey! I put me out of action for years!

So thinking about it... I have a weak thing. Other people have a weak arm or leg. Not me. I've got to go straight for the brain. 

I had meningitis when I was young... Brain

I had shingles when I was about 20... On the head!

And 29 brain operations!

That should be enough.

And I lack any energy at all. My ukulele sits in my bedroom, staring at me. Wondering why I've not practiced.

Maybe tomorrow.

Hopefully tomorrow...

I Love Being In A Band!

And it isn't about the chicks...

It just sounds groovier.

Not that I can play an instrument. Not with any great success anyhow... Believe me; I've tried. At present, I'm learning the ukulele through my girlfriend (and another band member) who is a regular Hitler if I don't practice.

I've had a piano for years. I tried learning it; really tried. Went to lessons and everything. To no avail. 

We have a bucket load of instruments in this house. Guitars. Ukuleles. Harmonicas. Mandolins. Even a bloody Tamborine. One of our spare rooms is a music room for God sakes.

And I can't play anything... Yet.  But I sure look damned groovy!

Dog Latin Musical Collective

It is amusing to think that my motley crew of friends, and some blow ins - want to create a band. :)  A real live band with gigs and logos and pics of us etc...

Really! 

We are calling ourselves 'Dog Latin Musical Collective' - which is a great name (I didn't come up with it). 

We have three guitarists, 2 Ukelalea players (who one of them, Me, is shit - but I've been practicing...) We have a celloist, a violinist, percussion.  Sounds fancy hey?

Trouble is we live in Geelong. Some of us live in Melbourne (not too far) but some of us live in Queensland (1376 km) and Western Australia (2725 km). 

So travelling is nothing to be sneezed at...

Being the least musical of us, I've been doing the blog:)  

That's right; another bloody blog!

And getting the photos for it has been a laugh! Here is mine and my girlfriends...  PS I'm the one on the right! The redhead is my best friend.

If you're interested, we've only just started it. 

You can see it be born...

Dog Latin