Back Gigging

I t was about –3 degrees I was unloading the hot Machero sound system speakers and instruments out of the car cursing the criminal fraternity of this world …as if I could trust a couple of grands worth of equipment in the Machero mobile overnight I wouldn't have to load up again in the morning. It was Friday we were supposed to have had a really quick run through the set for the next day our 5th gig our first with the bootster. We had agreed we'd tune down a semitone to assist in poor old boots' voice so he could hit the highs in Merry Christmas everyone…the result of which meant the whole set sounded dull and down beat…….I threw a wobbler at one point when trying to get our mad cap drummer Barabanshik to kick off in time with me and Wifey at the right time in "Chasing Cars" ….I looked over to him to give him a nod but his eyes were shut in a trance …happily drumming away totally missing the cue as his bass player was dancing in front of his drum set pulling the most extra ordinary faces …this threw everyone out and Bara ban ana man shik 's smiley little face did little to dampen the fire that raged within me…less than 16 hours to the gig and we were making fundamental errors I showed my disgust and we performed the song better the next time round…..Bara band on the run shik's eyes were as wide as saucers for his cue when it arrived this time!!!!!!! Then I cocked up my backing and Baraban boom boom shake da room shik was too much of a gentleman to pass comment….although as we got round to Dakota he stopped us told us all to tune back up as it sounded awful and if we tuned down again he would kill us!!!!!!! We did so and normal service was resumed except our 45 minute rehearsal turned into near 2 hours which meant there I was at near 11 pm heaving amps and speakers into Machero towers wondering how we were going to fair on the morrow………

The morrow came and the same amps were being carted out through the same frost only this time my little roadies Rock star and Mini Minx assisted ……at 1100 O'clock we were all there at the hall ( after turning down the wrong road twice ) Boots' family never actually got there (rumour has it they are still travelling around the ring road in Bracknell as we speak) We sound checked ……sounded good …we were on form……the PTA lady came up to me rather worried ……the head teacher had complained we were too loud……..!!!! ROCK 'N' ROLL…….!!!!!!
I reassured her that with a hall full of people the noise would be absorbed and it would be fine …Hee hee heee!!!!

With minutes to go Boots gave Baraban been to London to see the queen shik last minute instructions not to go mad on his drums…you see his flair and brilliance is sometimes lost on our Bootster as he is thrown in to turmoil by a spur of the moment piece of brilliant filling by our drummer extra ordinaire….Baraban bun in the oven shik looked at me with almost as much devilment in his eyes as he has in his hands!!!!!!!

I then noticed that Boots was going to perform without the use of a safety harness ……yes no chords no words!!!!!!! At last a front man that doesn't need words…hurrah .

Our set list was
Into the deep ,
Chasing Cars ,
Happy New Year,
Mr Rock n Roll,
Dakota ,
Merry Christmas everyone
and encored with She's Electric.

Happy New Year is the first truly Hot Machero song…..Words and music written by Boots and almost discarded as not meeting up to requirement but resurrected for Hot Machero I put a bass line to it Wifey does this Marillion esque guitar bit over the top and Baraban born to be wild shik after many different variations puts a killer drum beat to the song….so the credits will read words and music written by Wilkins arranged by Hot Machero….We are all very proud of that song I think it's a shame it's seasonal really…

The gig went really well there are a few points for development but we went down well and friends and family who have seen most of our gigs have said this was the best thus far and this is a lot to do with the personnel change. With the greatest respect to those who trod before ,Boots has raised the bar……..

So a job well done …what's next? Back to rehearsals …we are recording a few demos and expanding our repertoire….America by Razorlight is getting the next Hot Machero touch!!! And another original song called Down to Earth…….

Hot Machero are back!