Possible New Member and Local Gig on Saturday 14th March

At this coming Saturday rehearsal we're trying out a potential new band member. Then in the evening we're playing a local gig at Hanwell Hop and this new person might join us for a few numbers. What is certain is that at the end of our set we will be joining forces with Jazz Mondays (a band I sometimes play bass with) to play two Zappa tunes with a very large band including 2 drummers, 2 guitarists, keyboards and at least six saxophones.
Jazz Mondays are on at 7pm and Acton Zappa at 8pm. The evening continues with Hats off to Led Zeppelin at 9.30pm.

Acton Zappa Expansion?

Although it's great fun playing as a trio it seems to me that an audience might be better entertained with a few more players so I've advertised for a sax and a keyboard player. No keyboard responses yet but I've arrange to audition a sax player this Thursday. Fingers crossed.
It's almost certainly too late to expand the band before the two coming March gigs but I'm hoping we might be a larger outfit post MOO-AH.

We were on German Radio yesterday

The German internet radio station Rockradio.de had a programme last night that featured all the bands to be playing at the upcoming Festiva MOO-AH in Corby. So a track of Acton Zappa's was played in the very good company of Ike Willis, Denny Walley, Zappatistas, Zappatika, The Muffin Men, Inventionis Mater Evil Dick and the Banned Members and String Thrash
The next chance to here us on the radio will be on Tuesday 17 February on Andrew Greenaway's AAAFNRA show on Thurrock Radio

Today's rehearsal

Today's rehearsal included a play through of a different set to last time.
A possible first set for our upcoming pub gig.
acton-zappa-rehearsal-2015-01-31-set

Rehearsal of a complete set.

Last Saturday we rehearsed a complete 45min set (actually closer to 50min).
Here it is.
Acton Zappa at Survival 2015-01-17 Set

A chance to see us play live coming up on Saturday 9th May

Back in the Studio and we will soon be on the Radio.

Last Saturday was the first rehearsal of the year at Survival Studios in Acton (where else). I thought it went pretty well. We mostly worked on the harder numbers and finally played, for the first time, the whole of Echidna; the last section still needs plenty of work. Lynne turned up about 30mins before we finished and took some pics and video but the camera ran out of memory so I've now ordered a new bigger memory card for it.

I recorded everything, except our warm-up Chunga's Revenge on my Zoom and IMHO the best sounding tracks are "Oh No" and "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance" so when I had a request from Andrew Greenaway for a couple of tracks to play on his radio show, to help promote Festival MOO-AH, these were the two tracks I sent him.

As to the festival, on Friday 20th March, we need to drive up to Corby in the morning for a soundcheck in the afternoon and we'll go on stage around 8pm or possibly a little earlier. We will be the first band to play and Ian has requested that we start playing something to pull the audience into the hall and then he will make a brief announcement about the festival. I was thinking of Chunga for this but am now thinking Oh No might be better. Our set will be around 45mins and John and Tom have requested a set list so I need to put a provisional list together soon, certainly before our rehearsal this coming Saturday - watch this space.