The Adventure Continues

To read a report of The Negotiators' most recent gig, click here.

The Negotiators met up with their new bass guitarist, Barry, earlier this evening. We met for a rehersal at Steve's music room. Steve, Mark and Nancy also met up with Terry prior to rehersal to formalise his departure and sort out a few logisitical loose ends. Although there was sadness throughout, there was also the pleasure and pride at the integrity with which the difficult situation was transacted. The Negotiators proved ourselves capable of working through what could have been a (needlessly) nasty situation. I know that none of us regret our association, we all came out ahead.

It wasn't long after Terry had departed that Barry turned up in his white cab ute, amp and bass in the back. Then Chris rocks up, car almost overflowing with drum. Inside, Steve and I are reorganising the spaghetti patch of cabling which is the PA.

For gear we have mixing desk (inbuilt EQ and amp), vocal mics and stands for everyone, kick drum mike and stand, two foldback speakers, two front of house speaker boxes plus stands, sufficient cabling for the lot, and a little CD player to provide music between sets (thanks Terry). In other words, we have more gear than a lot of bands. And none of it is shoddy equipment. I think we need a few coloured lights soon (they really set a band apart as a rock band, set an atmosphere). Anything extra on top of all this is becoming luxury.

I think it worked well with Chris on drums and Barry on bass. Whatever hierarchies had previously grown into existence have well and truly been blown away and we have a whole new beast on our hands. The present lineup is as follows: Nancy (vocals), Steve (lead guitar, keyboard, harmonica), Mark (rhythm), Barry (bass) and Chris (drums). All of the blokes also sing backing vocals at some stage.

We'll try and play with rythym section (Mark and Barry) to stage left (front and rear respectively), Steve plus keyboard plus PA to stage right. We'll see if we have developed (or, can develop) to be able to do this. The degree of musical cohesion we will be able to achieve will now reside jointly with Steve's sensitivities, and the solidity of the rythym section. We are all having to develop again in new directions.

We'll be meeting up several times over the coming six weeks, prior to playing at a birthday at the end of April. Our next public gig will be at the Glynde Hotel on a Saturday night in mid May.

I'll be blogging the band's get togethers over the intervening period. Firstly, it will provide subject material about which I haven't often had the opportunity to blog in the past. Secondly, it may prove an interesting record of an interesting period of any band's life - the transit of new people.