[kj] ]KJ[ Part 2/3 Brittania Row Studios Sessions : The Full ReportOf 3 Days With Killing Joke in London November 2009

[Frenchy Frenzy]

2nd Day Friday 20th Nov 2009 :

 

Unfortunately, for different reasons, my 2 partners Antoni and Matt couldn’t
come back so I’ll try to give an objective point of view about the events.

 

The afternoon was first dedicated to Geordie’s riffs under the control of
Youth.

 

He played alternatively with his Golden Harps (from 1952 and 1956) and a red
GIBSON SG à la Angus Young

 

Paul was recording cymbals and you could really understand that a track is
like a puzzle made of hundreds of parts.

 

A long and laborious work still under the control of Youth who compared the
cheese party to an experience of humanity like a leaf growing from the
concrete after 2 weeks.

 

I know that the 1st two days have been hard and mostly used for preparing
the instruments.

 

After 2 weeks it was easy to understand that they were all tired.

 

When listening for the x times, it was nice to see Geordie throwing
encouragements to Youth with the thumb up in the air and funny to see
Geordie encouraging me to film Youth upturned like an orchestra conductor.

 

In fact, that reveals the common work of all the members happy to work again
together like a real group and which everybody has his own place and full
part.

 

Simply the joy to record and create together.

 

They all felt concerned with the upcoming album (maybe for Christmas 09, but
maybe only 
.)

 

Jaz wasn’t happy with the keyboards intro of “The Raven King” and let it
know to the engineers in his own style would I say : shouting loud at them,
they tried to avoid the gaze of the man.

 

It was quite funny because Jaz always knows when I’m filming and plays
always his role perfectly : a perfect customer for the camera would I say.

 

Finally, it took him only one take to record the perfect way and he played
only with 3 fingers in a “kind of improvisation” and got the congratulations
of Youth 

 

Immediately when he left the room certainly very proud of his effect on the
young troops, we all had a big laugh and the engineers could breathe again.

 

Youth asked me if I had filmed the sequence, said Yes and one second after
Jaz came back in the desk room and wanted to change one note again
. but
finally his 1st play was perfect

 

The artist in action
ha ha ha !!!

 

In this moments, I can easily understand why they are “unmanageable” like
other groups.

 

On the other side of the studio, Paul was trying to focus on the lyrics
writing on notebooks sharing his ideas with Jaz in the corridor

 

So began another long series of Geordie’s riffs with the red Gibson and a
lot of distorsions and echoes to get a freaky sound.

 

Then maybe the most unexpected and original moment of the whole recording :
he wanted to get a bottleneck effect so Youth provided Geordie his Iphone
and as the result sounded well we got maybe the first Iphone‘s riff 

Jaz shouted “Fucking great” and that was really it ;o))

 

Of course, I’ve filmed the whole sequence
..

 

After this, it was time for “The New Feudalism” a very speedy rhythm with
great cymbals.

 

It simply shows how easy it’s to play guitar when you are Geordie and a
perfect rhythm for “pogos” in the pit during the coming gigs 

 

The next song “Point Of Singularity” had got a very heavy riff with unusual
guitar and bass “à la Rage Against The Machine meets Black Sabbath” and
strong drums

 

It think it’s directly inspired from the Track 4 of the 2009 demos but on a
more energetic and speedy rhythm

 

And now the evening: the “Gary Jam”

 

Geordie began to taste the Saint Joseph

http://www.vins-saint-desirat.com/

 

and then the Chateauneuf Du Pape (red wines) 

 

 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teauneuf-du-Pape>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teauneuf-du-Pape

 

http://www.chateauneuf.com/english/index.html

 

while Youth was on the last Pouilly Fuissé bottle and Jaz rolling his
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    joint ha ha ha !!!!

 

and they began to play live an instrumental song that immediately stays in
your mind.

 

But for the rhythm very very unusual but so enjoyable as if The “Sparks were
meeting Grace Jones” (my own opinion)

 

It’s really a catchy tune in a 70’ style with saturated guitar.

 

Before getting the perfect harmony Jaz really shouted at the engineers and
said them this “historical “ sentence concerning Geordie

 

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM ? DON’T MAKE HIM SOUND LIKE A TRIBUTE BAND
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Real funny for me but certainly not for the engineers who really were
looking at their shoes during these moments with Master Jaz ;o))

 

I must say that he was ALWAYS right about the best matching between bass and
guitar and that he can be stoned but still have the perfect ear.

 

I wasn’t expecting them to record such a track but the rhythm is so
dynamic
.

 

We decided to have a good Guiness (after all these wines ) at the pub around
the corner with Paul and his sister, Reza, Youth and an a very nice “old
man” 


When he went away, Youth spoke to me about him and I realized it was his


father.

 

The man named Allen was shaking his body during the jam session and Youth
told me that he was in better shape while listening to their music as he was
told to be dead soon several times apparently.

 

We went back to the studio and had some big laughs upstairs with Paul,
Eddie, Jaz and Reza who will be on the next tour and is looking forward to
the Apollo Hammersmith because a few years ago he was working there and said
“ one day I’ll play on this stage “;o))

 

 

See part 3/3

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