Saturday 31 December 2011

2011 - over already!?!

Another year done & dusted! Over 200 gigs and an unmentionable amount of bass strings, here are some of my musical highlights of 2011.

Jan - recording for the 2nd Billy Wears Dresses album continues & a monstrously loud but razor tight Shindig gig with the Galileo 7.

Feb - Galileo 7 in France and told the meaning of pop music, shame I don't speak French though, & a Billy Wears Dresses photo shoot with Phil Dillon.

March - yet more crazy gigs at The White Horse & the life giving safety barriers & bouncers at the Jolly Knight for Masterclass. The Groovy Uncle album, Play Something We Know, is out on State Records. Billy Wears Dresses launch their 2nd album, You Said It Would & It Did at The Eagle.

April - Billy Wears Dresses get through the second round of Live & Unsigned, oh dear!

May - Galileo 7 tour Italy, finally a warm tour!

June - Billy Wears Dresses play at Bluewater & appear on Adam Dowling's KMFM show and my insane schedule of 8 gigs in 4 days takes it's toll. Zzzzzzzzz .....

July- a mind blowing gig with Paul Jobson & a frantic Masterclass appearance at the Kings Hill Fest.

August - a great gig followed by a monumental jam session to 5am in Dumfries. Galileo 7 return to Higher State Studios to begin the next album.

September - Billy Wears Dresses are the new Johnny Cash and perform in a prison, followed by a return to The Crown in Rochester, been a few years since I was last there! Superb Ska japes depping for Ska-De-Kat in Maidstone.

Oct - a garden party, in October?? It was a baking hot Masterclass afternoon session followed by a dash to play at the White Horse in Maidstone in the evening. A cracking visit to the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth for the Galileo 7.

Nov- Billy Wears Dresses back at The Eagle and Galileo 7 back in Europe, Le Tipi in Liege Belguim the best yet.

Dec- nearly finished the Galileo 7 album, Billy Wears Dresses live at The Beauty Of Bath with new drummer Dean & Christmas session with new keyboard player Sam and a marathon of Masterclass gigs. Then out of the blue a Lovedays reunion, a superb way to finish the year.

Wishing you all a very Happy 2012, thankyou for listening.

Paul



Paul Moss

Monday 5 December 2011

Winter Update

It's been a whirlwind Autumn, in between a manic Masterclass schedule I've got married, honeymooned in New York and been in Europe with The Galileo 7.

Lots changing in Billy Wears Dresses, there will be an announcement on KMFM on Christmas day - watch this space!

I'm currently updating the website so apologies that it looks a bit scruffy at the moment. I'm now giving beginners guitar lessons, so check out the Learn section on the main website.

Hope to catch you at a Masterclass gig soon.

Paul




Galileo 7 - Live in Lille

Monday 31 October 2011

Listen

It's easy to take what you do for granted, another day another gig.

It's been a busy summer and I've been all over the UK playing music with many different talented musicians. I'm looking forward to a holiday in New York City next week, a chance to recharge the batteries as we move into the busy build up to the dreaded "C" word.

Along with a hectic Masterclass schedule I've also got a short European tour with Galileo 7, with some more stints in the studio to continue with the follow up album to "Are We Having Fun Yet".

I love what I do but occasionally it's good to have a reminder that it's more than a job. Last Saturday after a gig I was chatting with someone who was telling me what a great night they had and enjoyed the band. They lost their spouse 5 years ago and getting out and listening to live music was a great escape and release from the reality of life.

I'm blessed that many people enjoy what I do; as an artist it's not difficult to get wrapped up in myself and my own motives for performing, but I should always remember that without those that come to listen I'm just a noisy neighbour!

What ever you enjoy, keep listening.

Paul



Steve enjoys the post-gig celebrations.

Thursday 18 August 2011

Back to the studio!

It seems like there is hardly time to take a breath between recording, releasing and promoting an album, then moving on to the next one.

The Galileo 7 are in Higher State Studio recording the follow up to "Are We Having Fun Yet?" on glorious 8 track analogue tape. Meanwhile "Orangery Lane" is on the Acid Jazz compilation "Hipsters 2" for all you vinyl junkies.

It's been hectic as always on the live front, last week I was in Scotland, just outside Dumfries and also managed some rare sightseeing and got to visit the David Coulthard museum.




Wednesday 15 June 2011

A Little Mixed Up!

This weekend is certainly not for the fainthearted !
Saturday Double Breasted Modzine & 208 Records present "A Little Mixed Up" at the Fiddlers Elbow in Camden. Headlined by the mighty Groovy Uncle with a cast of stars with what may be the last Uncle gig for a while, fronted by Glenn with my good friend Ben Jones on guitar, the Higher State's Mole on drums and Allan Crockford on bass. Speaking of which, The Galileo 7 will be live there at 4pm making a triumphant return from Italy for a rare UK gig.





Monday 30 May 2011

Noi siamo il Galileo 7

Galileo 7 European tours are generally soggy and cold but the weather in Italy was almost as hot as the gigs.
In Verona the venue's Jamaica theme seemed quite appropriate, the only hairy moment was Viv's near repeat of her stool diving antics in Belgium. On out way to Brescia we managed to fit in some sight seeing around Lake Garda in between cups of coffee. For this tour we had Mole (The Higher State) on drums, his ornithology came in handy on several occasions, everyday's a school day!
Friday night's support was from Thee Bomb'o'nyrics, despite a tropical storm that prompted me to hastily draw up plans of an Ark on the back of a set list, the Lio Club was packed out. To get in to the Lio, you have to negotiate a level crossing, when the trains stop running at ten, the locals like nothing better than sitting on the rails whilst drinking beer. Personally I found the outside benches a tad more comfortable.
Apparently you can't call it breakfast at 2pm, however after stopping for a slap up meal at Signora Miggini, we headed into the mountains to find Trento.
Despite a curious venue, that left us scratching our heads and our tour manager Gianni swearing even more than when he's driving, it seemed like every Allan Crockford fan in Italy arrived to see us. The DJ played Prime Movers, Solar Flares etc to which Allan spent most of the time asking "did I play on this?".
Tonight's support came from "The Deaf Players", after which we hit the stage for a triumphant end to our all too short Italian tour.

Big thanks to Gianni for taking great care of us, arranging everything from back line to espresso.
To Mole for a brilliant job.
To the promoters and club staff, and also to everyone who came to see us.

Vi ringrazio e spero di rivederti al piĆ¹ presto.



Paul Moss

Tuesday 24 May 2011

The Galileo 7 - Talking Italia





Time for The Galileo 7 to head to Europe again!
This time we are heading to Italia. Verona, Brescia and Trento get the G7 gig experience.
We've got some new songs in the set as well as all the hits from the album "Are We Having Fun Yet?"
The album is available on The Galileo 7 website, along with other goodies including The Solar Flares album "Can Satisfy You" and of course, The Galileo 7 t-shirt in splendid Monterey Purple.
Buckle up your ears Italy, we're going to take them on the ride of their lives........



Paul Moss

Monday 28 March 2011

You Said It Would And It Did

This Thursday, 31st of March, sees the release of Billy Wears Dresses second album "You Said It Would And It Did". The launch party is at The Eagle in Rochester, the city's premier music venue. The band will hit the stage at 9 so get there early to buy your copy of the CD.

"The 16 tracks on what really is a double album, have a diversity and spirit that is almost non-existent in these genre based times. Nick spoke of it as being our Sgt. Pepper but maybe it's more like Stevie Wonder's Songs In the Key Of life and The Clash's London Calling. We've let the songs drive how we've recorded them; which has led to, what will be for some, a few sonic surprises. There are four songs on this album that we didn't have time to put on Spacehopper Summer, the rest are all new songs that we started recording last August. It's taken a while to finish, down to the lavish production and arrangements for the most part. I'm dreading the studio bill when it arrives!"
Paul


For all the latest on this release, including a free MP3 download of the single "Eddie (My Dad's Bigger Than Your Dad)" head over to http://yousaiditwouldanditdid.blogspot.com


Saturday 26 March 2011

Are We having Fun Yet? - available from the Galileo 7 Webite


The perfect gift for mum this Mothers Day....






The Debut album from the Galileo 7 - "Are We Having Fun Yet"
is available in The Galileo 7 Website Store
along with the debut EP "Test Flight" and superb T Shirts in Monteray Purple.


For all things Galileo 7, including the upcoming Italian Tour,
visit http://thegalileo7.fourfour.com/home



As well as the obligatory







About The Galileo 7

Allan Crockford - vocals, guitar
Viv Bonsels - organ, vocals
Paul Moss - bass, vocals
Russ Baxter - drums

As a member of such semi-legends as the Prisoners, The Solarflares, JTQ, Thee Headcoats and more recently The Stabilisers (amongst a much longer list), Allan Crockford has played an important if low-key part in establishing the Medway area's reputation as a hotbed for spirited, uncompromising garage rock with a strong DIY ethic. Playing with such Medway notables as Graham Day, Billy Childish and James Taylor, his reputation was as the reliable sideman for more flamboyant figures. Now he has found a late flowering talent for writing his own material. The Galileo 7 were formed to play the songs he had been storing up for the last 3 or 4 years. The alternative was to go busking alone in Chatham High Street, a course of action which would have inevitably lead to a long stay in hospital.

Paul Moss is the busiest bass player in Kent, possibly the world. He plays in over 100 bands and when he's not playing bass he is still playing bass in his head. He can quite literally play every note on the bass, simultaneously if necessary. His favourite song is Jazz Odyssey. Hum him a tune and he will instantly hum back a four part string quartet arrangement - for a price.

Viv Bonsels is the band's organ wizard, although she refuses to wear the cloak and pointy hat formerly owned by Rick Wakeman that the band bought for her. Although she loves the throaty growl of the classic heavyweight Hammond/Leslie combination, she prefers to play a tiny 60's Teisco combo organ, because it has 'cute legs' and she can carry it under her arm.

Russ Baxter is the band's timekeeper, in more ways than one. When he's not beating out his rock solid rhythm stylings on his expensively restored (he claims) 1965 vintage Premier drum kit, he also keeps tabs on the rest of the band's punctuality at gigs and rehearsals. Operating a 'cruel but fair' system of punitive fines and systematic beatings, he ensures a regime of old-fashioned discipline and manners are adhered to at all times. He also plays drums for Secret Affair - currently the most punctual band on the mod circuit.

While the band still has the trademark punk ('66 and '76 versions) fire and energy that marks out the Medway sound, there are extra elements in the music that shifts it away from the trademark crashbangwhallop... call it pop-psych, punkadelic, powerpop or whatever you like. If it's energy you're after you won't be disappointed, but there are also tunes and harmonies by the bucketload to guarantee that these songs hang around in your head long after the initial sonic impact has faded.

Friday 25 March 2011

Ben Jones - Kaleidoscope Launch Party - tonight!

The place to be tonight is The Nags Head in Rochester, for the launch of Ben Jones' new solo album, titled Kaleidoscope. It's already available on iTunes (along with Ben's album Echobox), and is a phenomenal listen. The track "Under Your Stone" is the best song I've heard in ages.
Take a visit to www.benjonesechobox.co.uk and give your ears, mind and heart a musical blessing.
For those of you who've been unfortunate not to have seen Ben perform live before, you will be in for a real treat. I'm just gutted that I'll be unable to make it due to prior commitments.
If you love great passionate music, get down there at 8.30 and get a good seat, entry is free and the beer is fab, the night will be one to remember.




Paul Moss

Monday 14 March 2011

Play Something We Know

Last year I got to record with The Groovy Uncle, Glenn Prangnell at State Studios, the result of which was the single "Monkey Trousers" released on State Records. The same company have just released the vinyl LP called "Play Something We Know!" which is now available at The Groovy Uncle website.

The album also features Allan Crockford (Prisoners, JTQ, Solar Flares, Galileo 7), Ben Jones (Lovedays), Mole (Higher State) & Snowy (Aunt Nelly).

Sunday 13 March 2011

Where Has Billy Wears Dresses Been?

The big question can be easily answered!
We have been recording a new album, titled "You Said It Would And It Did", a monumental 16 track CD, what Nick describes as a "Sgt Pepper for the new millennium."
Keep an eye on the Billy Wears Dresses website for a release date which will be announced very soon. Also coming is a new look website featuring the photography genius that is Phil Dillon, who is also responsible for the new album pictures.
Billy Wears Dresses are also taking part in the Live & Unsigned competition and will be live in Brighton on the 16th of April along with the Dub Pistols.
More news on that soon too.

Stand By For Action!!




Photo by Phil Dillon
www.phildillon.co.uk

Saturday 12 March 2011

The Gallileo 7 French Tour

Just got back from a cracking tour of France. Thank you to all the people who came to see us perform our music this weekend. Also a big thank you to Jean-Marc and Barnaby for taking care of us and feeding us. We can't wait to be back in France. Looking forward to next time.

Allan, Russ and Viv in the Green Room.



I had some amps supplied on tour, Friday was a SVT Pro 3 with a 410HLF cab, Saturday was this monster. An 8x10 cab with a very old SVT head with a rather quaint wood finish.

The Galileo 7 will be making a rare UK appearance at The Nags Head in Rochester on the 12th March.

For all news that new and approved visit the Official Galileo 7 Website

Thursday 10 February 2011

More Fun with the RC50 Loopstation



I made this using the Boss RC50 Loopstation in replace mode.