sparkchris : 29 October 2004 - 5:02am

Charlie as usual you are all class mate.

sparkchris : 29 October 2004 - 5:01am

Anyone around Aussie we have shows coming up at the end of Nov with COg, so book it in.
Dates are on the site in the road section. See you soon.
Big love.
God Bless
Chris K

http://degreesk.com ]

sparkchris : 29 October 2004 - 4:54am

You Dupa boys are choice fun. And you are a good band I reckon.
Your record is lovely.
Cheers, God Bless
C

sparkchris : 29 October 2004 - 4:49am

Check out the record from 1QA when it gets released (one way or another) soon, because it is a little gem of a thing - exciting rock music I'd say.
These kids are doing things, if you ask me, which you didn't.
Choice, God Bless

http://degreesk.com ]

sparkchris : 13 July 2004 - 12:12am

...if that doesn't work try this
Cheers, God Bless
C

http://degreesk.com/nztour04.html ]

sparkchris : 13 July 2004 - 12:07am

Wow, nearly there. In fact I am in the airport waiting to board to return and play some tunes!
So we'll see you all soon, can't wait to rock with ya'll once again.
God Bless
C

ps if you don't know them, dates are at the site below:

http://www.degreesk.com/nztour04.html ]

sparkchris : 22 December 2003 - 12:31am

Nice looking website boys!
Are you gonna get that video up on there or NZMusic.com so us geezers in other lands can have a look?
Cheers bros

sparkchris : 27 October 2003 - 12:00am

For anyone in Aussie missing home....
degrees.K with:
Fur Patrol in Sydney at the Hopetoun this Sat (1st Nov)
Pacifier in Melbourne at the Espy the following Mon (3rd Nov).
Go Kiwi.

sparkchris : 26 October 2003 - 11:49pm

Check it out, 2 bands from Chch in the tops. Nice work lads (and ladies? I don't know 5th Element). Falter have a big future, and those boys can do some stuff already, check out their recordings!

I should say that if anything they are less commercially viable than they were a year ago when they got 2nd, their songs have gotten longer, and (for me anyway) more interesting, and they are messing with things rhythmically and chordally a bit more. I still reckon they'll be all over the radio soon anyway, and there ain't nothing wrong with that if the songs and performances are choice.
Rock on lads, God bless.

sparkchris : 14 August 2003 - 8:38pm

dunno, spose it depends on your definition of 'gay', and 'gay band'. We are reasonably happy, and I don't know if I really know how to define a homosexual band. If it is like the Village People, I'll let you draw your own conclusions.
But you didn't really want to know did you?
I loved you in Groundhog Day

sparkchris : 5 August 2003 - 6:36pm

Melbourne tomorrow...new songs...new audiences to share with and wake up. I expect we'll see some kiwis there, after all Melbourne is the largest city in Musical New Zealand.
If you are there see you there, see the rest of you ever sooner in September/October.
Love

sparkchris : 31 July 2003 - 7:06pm

I agree that it CAN make a drummers sound broader, like they way skunk anansie or tea party use them. And they can sound great on their own I suppose (like Barnard's Star's later stuff) although on the whole I definately tend to prefer the old human touch. But I don't think John Bonham or Mitch Mitchell would have soundede any broader with a drum machine ticking along, just less human. Same with Matt Cameron. Sometimes it sounds good with a machine, sometimes it could hardly get any better without one.

sparkchris : 31 July 2003 - 6:45pm

Replace drummers?!!? I don't mind a drum machine here and there for a different feel, and for some artists they work great (and they are good to practise to), they can sound GREAT when a drummer plays with them if done well. But humans play music like humans, and that sensitivity can't be replaced, whether it the kind of basic sensitivity that Hamish Kilgour displays, the feely sensitivity of someone like Nick Gaffney, or the kind of interactive sensitivity of Danny Carey.
All these guys (and all good drummers) use chops, or no chops, to create more than a pattern, they create a feel, and react in some way or another to the feel created by the musicians around them and add to it so you end up with...feel.
Drum machines can't REPLACE drummers. They don't feel, so can't express feeling. They just won't cut it in every styles of music. That's what I think anyway.

sparkchris : 31 July 2003 - 6:37pm

Sory long time no reply, might do, gotta figure out some techo tricks though. If you want to see best ask someone to play it in the meantime (shameless plug)

sparkchris : 30 July 2003 - 8:08pm

Jol Mulholland. I know it has already been said, but it should be said again. Others are also great, lots of jazzy chaps spring to mind, but Jol holds a special place in my heart, particularly the riff in Peacekeeper, especially the guitar breakdown after the second chorus - so beautiful.

sparkchris : 30 July 2003 - 7:05pm

Can't stay out of this one:
People have mentioned Paul ex-Supergroove and Now Che Fu and Eight - Ain't seen him live but the Groove and Chops on Traction are a sublime mix.
How can anyone forget Tom Larkin?

Renee from Cripple is a freak live, energy and chops. And I must add that Shannon Reed, a jazz drummer from Chch, and Redford from Shapeshifter always inspired me very much.

And that young gun Matt from Betchadupa has something going on in the classic rock style department.

That's what I think anyway. There are heaps of others too, but I have to stop sometime

sparkchris : 13 May 2003 - 6:59pm

Drums: Matt Cameron, Tony Williams and Danny Carey (yes, all at once)
Bass: Flea probably, so many to choose from, hard to say, maybe Henry Bogden or Karl Kippenberger circa Killjoy if you really want nasty instead. Would depend on my mood for the day.
Guitars: Mike McCready and Jimi Hendrix, with Jol Mulholland as a sub.
Vocals: Jeff Buckley, some days I'd say Ed Vedder (I am sorry if that is uncool).

If I wrote this tomorrow I'd probably have a different lineup, but that's the beauty of it isn't it?

sparkchris : 12 May 2003 - 6:34pm

Choice! Great line ups, a few old hands there too. And the Dupa in the city too. Go Chch, knock them over, some of the best stuff in the world.

sparkchris : 12 May 2003 - 6:27pm

Yep, Aussie it is for the mo. We are looking into a return to our homeland soon, keep an eye degreesk.com, and this fine site too.

sparkchris : 12 May 2003 - 6:03pm

I think there is an issue being left out here. Some of the bands quoted as being "rockn roll" are being lumped in with the retro rockers we all love, when they are considerably more musically diverse, ie have singers who can sing heart breakingly on a soft tune as well as howl over a big noisy riff, and instrumentalists that do the dynamics thing as well.
Maybe you'vecaught these bands at gigs where the evening has been more full on and not at the more varied shows, I dunno. But some of them can definately go hard, and also be beautiful at other times.
Check their recordings out for evidence if you can't get to the more varied shows.

sparkchris : 8 May 2003 - 8:20pm

excuse my ignorance, being outta town and all, but are they doing a Chch True Colours? Sounds like things are looking up in the old city.
Shame they didn't do it last year, we could seen some other old hand chchers on the bill with The Cooltones. Is Orkid on the bill? Who else? Relieve my ignorance.

sparkchris : 4 May 2003 - 8:05pm

Next one in the same nasty city is at the Vic on the Park with Two Lane Blacktop and th Red Sun Band on May 22nd, a Thursday. Kiwis taking over the place. Choice.

sparkchris : 23 April 2003 - 8:46pm

oops. fair enough. Thought I was talking to someone I knew. Was I namedropping in doing that? Sorry Mikey, ya superstar. Nice to meet you anyway Heather. Serves me right.

sparkchris : 23 April 2003 - 8:40pm

or maybe I am anonymous and you are talking about mikey, in which case I avoid embarrassment by being unknown anyway.

sparkchris : 23 April 2003 - 8:37pm

No its my stage name. Please please please can I please still use my name to communicate with other humans. Anyway, considering my instrument of choiceand the relocation of my outfit, I don't think that counts as name dropping. Not exactly a megastar.

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