Rattlebrained

Swamp Train’s first stop of the year !!!

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Last Friday Swamp Train played on what turned into a very wet cruise; and the loss of two mixing tables…

Hot and humid while we set up, a short drizzle to cool things down, a great crowd, a boat going in circles and through the canal de la Broye – the lakes off limit due to the weather conditions, a short break with a beer, a storm breaking hell on the upper deck where we were playing, a water filled crosswind like a wave, a very wet crowd and stage, a blown mixing table but Gaël is not one to give up so easily, got some sound going again, the boat back at its dock where we played on until the police broke up the party at midnight!
All in all a memorable evening…

A video of Swamp Train from the Blues Café radio show. This took place last month at the Millenium in the village of Isle d’Abeau, which is east of Lyon in France.

Yours truly on drums, washboard and bones..

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One of the songs Blaise wrote for Swamp Train starts with an imaginary train leaving the station and every so often the thought of having a train whistle to start the song comes around. As often is the case however, ideas like that mostly seem come at a “bad” moment, are not caught then & there, and go on to other horizons. Fortunately this one was came along often enough that we finally met with time, and a computer, on hand so I was able to search how to make one.

I found a good tutorial at The Woodcrafter Page and went to check if I had all the necessary tools, which I didn’t. Without a drill press and the proper bit it wasn’t clear it was worth finding a good sized piece of wood since the deep holes would probably be difficult to make. Plus, that kind of equipment tends to be expensive around here…

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A big thank you to everyone who helped us, came to, and enjoyed Swamp Train’s CD Launching Party last Friday! We really had a fantastic time!

Amazing really when you consider the discussions we (the band) had pretty much a year ago: should we make one? Too soon? To expensive? All the doubts you can harbor… and then the decision, choosing songs, looking at different studios, prices on the web…

And then the actual recording sessions last summer that fell right in heat wave weather – 36°c/ 96.8°F – in the studio… Dealing with often divergent opinions, discussions, time going by, where to mix it? All hopes of getting it ready by last October brushed away…

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A little Swamp Train update.

We’ve been practicing new songs. Although in the long term the plan is to be playing a majority of our own tunes with the Blues you have to know the classics so we’ve been working on both.

We finished mixing the album last month and since then I’ve been working on the cover art. And a hard trip it has been to satisfy all the band members, myself included. Fortunately it is coming together nicely now and the end is in sight…

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Just getting over the last 10 days. As posted Swamp train played at the BAG in Geneva on Nov. 3rd, (see video below) a great place to play but a long trip home. Fortunately I was able to sleep over at my folks place which cuts an hour off the drive; bed time: 2:45 am. Fortunately the Vully Blues Festival where we played on the 5th was closer since with its 4×45 min. sets I for one end up with lead legs and sore all over…

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