We are entering 'Phase 2' of FDP, the Flags Development Program. Some songs have been written to the point where they are being brought forward to the band for further work, and Joe Reeves has started to join us once a week with the role of the producer, or Pro Juicer as he likes to be referred.With every week, we are tailoring our work dynamic to get the best out of each other. We are learning new tricks that help ourselves and each other to produce better music and the result is an accelerated output of quality material.
We had been successful in having our track '54' chosen by Sound On Sound magazine to be the subject of Mike Senior's article Mix Rescue, to be published in the March issue next year. Hopefully this will come at the time when we start to promote our live sets.
Our meeting with a producer in London a while ago taught us to start generating a fan-base locally, rather than through music venues miles away. We have experience of playing empty halls as a result of our hastiness to 'get out there', and even though that may still happen in the future, it will be a lot less likely if we play local pubs close to our current fans. 'Phase 3' will be breaking free from the local circuit, once our fan-base starts to grow into London.
These local live shows will no doubt be longer than our half-hour sets we have prepared before, which means we need more material. Ideas for covers have been floating around, although they need to pass a few tests before being chosen. Namely, they need to be recognisable; have a sing-along melody; and for us to be able to play them either differently or better than the original. Obscure covers may be good, but people can get bored listening to an hour-set of unfamiliar material. In pubs, more people like to be able to hear a song they know and to sing along, and perhaps even throw their knickers at us. Shotgun first pair.
A recent trip to Turkey
