stilte

chord simple

Keep it loose. Just play. Yeah right. Does help to get the chords and song structure right though. The chords are usually not the problem. We don't use many. A blues band at heart, we are.

melodic-A

play time

We'll try to move mountains this Saturday and Sunday. There's still so much work that has to be done. Gonna record some drums and synths. Have to get MKMV right and spent whatever time is left recording vocals, percussions, additional guitars, bass and Rhodes... Some melodica perhaps. A little freak-out on zither could be cool. We'll see whatever comes to mind. Sure Pidah will make it all sound nice. Our job is easy. Just keep it loose and play.

never trust a hippie

dress rehearsal

Spider James wouldn't be Spider James if we weren't incomplete in our dress rehearsal, the final session before returning to the studio next weekend. JL had important work that had to be done. WJP was more than a few hours late, but - it must be said - in time to asure the rest of us that he has some great keyboard parts ready to be put on tape. Cymbals and bass kick give Morning Head (or whatever name we'll give this song) the psychedelic edge it needs. Strawberry jam, that is. MKMV sounds pretty damn good too as it moves from light to dark to weirdness. Yes, we're ready.

back to mine (14)

we are your friends

You can spot Spider James almost everywhere on the internet these days. Like almost everybody we are now also part of the ever growing Dutch Hyves community… You can find us here. So don’t wait: be our friend and give us a ‘krabbel’. You will never be alone again!

john doe

the name of this band is...

The search of a new band name dominated Yesterday's rehearsal session. With an album coming up there's one last change for us to get rid of the old Spider James; the name of the band JL and I formed with Bob Claver somewhere in the mid 90's.
We tried to come up with a name four years ago without success. Daisy Glaze - the band Boyke, RJ, Ted and WJP were in before starting this one - was considered not cool enough. We also dismissed Daisy James, which would have made sence. Before we knew it, Spider James was back. For good?
Right now I can't think of anything else than band names. It's compulsive. I see band names everywhere. Reading the paper, listening to music, watching TV. I even dream of it.
Serious suggestions anyone?

back to mine (13)

i.m.

It's hard to think of Elvis Presley and not see this fat All American, pompously overdressed Las Vegas clown he had turned into in the nineteen seventies. But did that man record some great music. That's all right mama, heartbreak hotel, one night (with you), hound dog, I can't help falling in love with you, guitar man, suspicious minds... I even dig some of his movies, but that could very well be a sentimental thing. I grew up watching that stuff on german television. I thought Elvis was from Nordrhein Westfahlen until I was about ten years old. The 1968 comeback special is brilliant. The man was already a monument back than. For the summer of love generation he was a ghost from the past and you can easily understand why, but it's impressing to see just how eager a 33 year old Presley was to prove to the world that he was still The King. Maybe he was.

the spider james orchestra

6 - 3 = 3

No Boyke, WJP or Rob Yesterday. Didn't stop Ted, JL and me from picking up our instruments, combining good fun with hard work. New studio dates are getting near so there was lots of stuff to be done. We teamed up with Boyke in Den Bosch later that evening to celebrate his 29th birthday. With our Benjamin turning 29, we're defintely turning into old men. Great party though. Enjoyed Boyke and Lies' new apartment, Lies' funky new hairdo and a nice conversation (really) with some friend of Boyke who told me there are 3 musicians too many in our band ('Who needs keyboards anyway?'). That's yr 6 - 3 again... Told him I wouldn't mind having a percussionist and some hornplayers in our band and make it a little orchestra. Same guy told me the one good song on our myspace page is 'All in between', expect the freaky part at the end, which sucks as it doesn't rock. Enlightening.

spider men

beaucoup fish

Back on track after a summer break of several weeks, Spider James reunited Yesterday. Finding a very a real nasty, mouldy coffeemachine proved it had been a while.
We spent the afternoon doing some jams, going through our last recordings, working on some songs, discussing and argueing and making plans for new studio time. All a bit harsh, but good fun.
We missed JL nevertheless. Apparently the man is off somewhere on his own - fishing... Hope to see him next week.