Paul Janisch

The Badly Packed Parachute(s) first gig

It's not clear whether we are Parachute or Parachutes.  Either way it's quite a rude term and I'm not telling you why.  After four years of slog we've actually managed to get it together to have a gig.

The band is made up of five people.  It started with me and Piet and a totally psychotic drummer from Eastern Europe.  Piet and I ditched him and found another drummer called Pieter.  Pieter couldn't commit much, his life was in a lot of turmoil (part of this is expressed in the 3/4 song that we weren't allowed to perform at the gig).  Then we found a drummer called Navs - he couldn't stay with us either.  In the interim we played with a phenomenal vocalist called Mina.  He is such an intense musician but again couldn't commit.  Other vocalists who came and went were Dan, who I had played with in the past - best vocalist I have ever played with, and Paul.  Paul was in the music business and was out most nights of the week. He was staying away from his family so he disappeared.  

Most of the time it was just me and Piet.  I had moved from playing guitar to bass.  One night I didn't want to rehearse but Bevan, the guy who owns our rehearsal studio insisted he'd found us another drummer.  Enter Dave.  A powerhouse is Dave and very keen - which is what Piet and I needed at the time. Piet then brought his friend Johann around to check us out.  He never left and we had a second guitarist and a vocalist.  My friend Jeff is a marvelous musician.  He and I had dabbled in music for years but our musical tastes were too far apart - simply put I like chords and he doesn't. Jeff's current band was on a hiatus and so I asked him to come and experience a large number of chords.  He stayed too. Unfortunately he is in the process of emigrating and so I will be back on bass in a few months.  It's a totally different band when Jeff plays with us - there's a funkiness to him, even though he tends to play Paul McCartney-type basslines (without ever listening to McCartney I must stress).  We have a few months with Jeff and couple of upcoming gigs.  When Jeff goes we will revert back to more of a rock 'n roll band, courtesy of my bass playing.  I'll let you know when and where the next gig is - it'll be our first proper gig.

Here are the Badly Packed Parachutes, first gig. We were called off the stage after four songs - there are still two more to play.

 

DOOKOOM - Jou Poes my Larney

It's just loud gangster rap.  I don't think it's hate speech and I don't agree with music censorship at all (although I think we'd be doing the world a favour if we banned Steve Hofmeyer).  I do love Richard Poplak's writing in general.  He is particularly entertaining in this Daily Maverick post.

It's not the first song that I am aware of that speaks about farm workers moering their baases.  Check out Ou Kleine Jannie  by Mr Mac and the Genuines.  A fantastic song

 

 

 

Rabin and Santana - a musical post

I found this advertisement in Guitar Player magazine.  It's from January 1988.  I have my doubts whether this would have been on the shelves in South Africa at that time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The same magazine contained this advertisement.

Not the Allan Gray man

I have mentioned that I will periodically talk about music and here I go again.  Last year I played guitar (and sang a bit) in a band called the Black Daniels.  My co-guitarist was a very talented bloke called Chris Lombard.  The band didn't break up or anything, it just stopped.  We all found ourselves in different positions with different priorities. 

However we have left the world with a small recorded legacy.  The songs weren't that bad and the recordings don't really do them much justice.  I've uploaded Tickets only show - which was a group effort.  The vocalist is Daniel Buckland, probably the best vocalist I've ever had the privilege of working with.  The lyrics are his too.  The bassist is Jeremy Daniel - I've known Jem for many years (we were at the same school), he is best known as the bassist for Fetish.  Chris on electric guitar.  A drummer called Dave.  And then me on acoustic guitar, harmonica (slightly out of time - I always wanted to go back and fix it) and background vocals.

The reason for this post is Chris sent me a video clip of his latest work, he's an animator.  It's up on youtube and I really recommend you look at it. 

Rabbitt reissued

Whilst this blog is effectively about BEE and other related issues, the temptation sometimes becomes a little too great to write about other things.  90% of the time, those other things are normally music-related.  And this post is about Rabbitt.

Rabbitt was the first real South African supergroup.  Four very talented musicians (in their late teens) who occupied the TV, press and radio for a few years in the mid-seventies.  The term Rabbitt-mania rolled as easily off the tongue as Beatle-mania did a decade earlier.  Unfortunately they only lasted a very short time with the four members going off in their own directions, but they left us with two fantastic albums and a third not-so-good one.

Rabbitt were Trevor Rabin, Neil Cloud, Ronnie Robot and Duncan Faure.  There is little doubt that the creative force was Trevor Rabin, the third album called Rock Rabbitt was without Trevor and his presence is sorely missed.  Trevor is now best known as the man who brought Yes mass appeal with their 90125 album (remember Owner of a lonely heart?) and now movie soundtracks.  Duncan is still a musician and brought out a greatest hits compilation a few years ago.  Ronnie is in some sort of music production and Neil runs a successful office furniture business. 

Fresh music has just released the first two albums on CD, Boys will be boys and A croak and grunt in the night (they did love their bedroom pictures).  They are available at major retailers or you can get them online.  The online prices are a bit stiff I suggest a retailer.

Once you've listened to the albums send Benjy Mudie an email and tell him to start arranging a reunion concert - it's 30 years overdue!!!!

Ollie Halsall and Patto

If you've read my book "Broad-based BEE for small businesses" (you can get it here http://www.kalahari.net/bk/product.asp?toolbar=none&sku=29709174&format=detail) you may have noticed I refer to a company called Patto and Halsall.  This company is a product of my mind and was named after two great musicians, Mike Patto and Ollie Halsall.  They played in a few bands together but are probably best known for playing in Patto.

Barry Monks who manages the brilliant Ollie Halsall web site http://olliehalsall.co.uk/index.htm has decided to post MP3s of the last official Patto album - Roll 'em smoke 'em, Put another line out.  If you would like to hear my favourite Patto album and some of the best musicianship you've ever heard then download the MP3s from here http://olliehalsall.co.uk/rollemsmokem.htm.  You won't listen to anything else for a long time (I'd love to know what you think of Mummy).