A new engine

We have a new drummer.

Not a revolution, no musical differences, just a new drummer. We played an unannounced farewell set on Thursday with Pete and 36 hours later we were rehearsing with the new guy.
No drama, no fuss and no prime time TV show to vote for the replacement.
Pete has been with us since May, two practice sessions and he was live - fearless and confident, but he's a student again now (while working) so won't have any time. So...

Welcome to Owen our new drummer, he's got a very different style to Pete and we're reworking the songs with him.
We will be back out there very soon.

The Speed Of Sound:
John Armstrong - Vocal/Guitars
Owen Deane - Percussion
Kevin Roache - Bass

twenty five years

On a Sunday morning; 17th September 1989, a Manchester band walked into Real To Reel recording studio in Macclesfield and recorded their first release. Four songs. One EP. The session ended about 3am on Monday 18th. The four songs were picked to show a cross section of what the band played, at the two extremes were I Wanna Feel Good, an all out two minute garage punk rant, and Nightmare a surreal and translucent horror. between them were the straight guitar driven pop of I Aint No Doll (aka I'm Real) and Checkered Land, which is still regularly in the live set now. 



That was 25 years ago and it is very very good to still be playing after all that time. I never doubted that would happen because making music is an inner need that has to be fulfilled. 1989 is as distant now as 1964 was then, but it really does feel like just the blinking of an eye.

But, technically the gestation period was longer and it all started two years earlier, the day Andy Warhol died: 

22 February 1987, that was a Sunday too. Never die on a Sunday, it is a PR disaster. 
TV News on Sunday is shorter than during the week, and he got a quick mention before moving on to football results - more like fifteen seconds of fame than the fifteen minutes that he'd said everyone would be famous for. I said something along those lines to some of my house-mates and it sparked; a song was written and a band was born. The next night we recorded 'Andy Warhol's Dead' straight onto cassette using the cutting-edge technology of the day - a Walkman. The sound quality is best left to the imagination. It was uncomplicated filthy garage punk. (Transvision Vamp must have had parallel evolution, they had a song on their first album with the same title in October '88.) 
The Droogs L-R 
Andrea. Mark A, Steve, Mark H & John, 

But, that was a very different band, more of a pre-history or prelude. 
A fistful of songs carried forward from The Droogs to what became The Speed Of Sound. The 1989 incarnation was a four piece with dual vocals, 12 string guitar and 6 string bass, Christine left after a year and the format has been three piece since then. The name changed from The Blood Oranges to The Speed Of Sound around 1995. Because it meant more; however fast (or slow) the music is played the sound waves still travel at the same speed…

Here's a review from 1989 by Stick It In Your Ear magazine:
(the old Post Office Box address has been removed to avoid confusion)

And here's a link to the 1989 EP:

(its free listen/download)

Link to hear the 1989 EP

I Wanna Feel Good - Crunching snarling garage punk
I'm Real (I aint no doll) - Guitar driven power-pop
Checkered Land - To take you through the looking glass
Nightmare - Surreal menace of the unknown

Still here, still evolving and still enjoying it. It’s good to be loud. Thanks to everyone that’s ever listened, or seen us live and to all the people I’ve played guitar with over the years in bands, socially or just a jam - music is life.

Play Loud Play Often.

Scootfest 2014

Over 350 scooters made their way to Scootfest today, it was buzzing with energy as Rossendale '60's festival came to a close for this year.
We shared the stage with Lost Legions, The Getsettes and The Transmitters. A cool gig.
Thanks to Scootfest for having us; and thanks for listening if you were there.

 

SET LIST:

Checkpoint Charlie

Glide On By

The Wargame

Unhrwerk

Seen It All Before

Chalk Circle

I See You Everywhere That I Go

Sit By The River

Maid Of The Grey

The Changes

I Can't Say

The Moment Is Now

Checkered Land

There's No One There

Love

Only Everything

Girl On The Roof 

all organised by The Mod Barber, well worth the effort.

The new venue was Haslingden Cricket Club and they added to the atmosphere by having a game on in the afternoon.

...and a gallery

LDCD gallery are stocking our limited edition vinyl 45rpm single...
...and both CD albums, this is very cool. Bottom left bellow.

It is the official opening tonight. 

There is some pretty good stuff in here. 

LCDC Gallery, 38 Albert Road, Levenshulme, Manchester M19 2AB

Scootfest 2014

Our next gig is Scootfest, which has a new venue this year - its at Haslingden Cricket Club.
14 September 2014
We're doing a full-size 75 minute, 17 song set. which means to fit the other bands in we're starting the proceedings off so get there early. We're on from 10:30 in the morning.

Radio

We're on Californian radio this weekend on the fantastically named KWTF
Lord Litter's Magic Music Box is aired at:
Pacific Time
23h00 Friday 5 Sep 2014
(BST 05h00 Sat 6 Sep)
07h00 Saturday 6 Sep      
(BST 13h00 Sat 6 Sep)
15h00 Saturday 6 Sep    
(BST 21h00 Sat 6 Sep)

There's a listen-live link on their website  here.