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  <a href="/news/blog/7353291/we-ve-got-a-gig-yay">We&#39;ve got a gig - yay!</a>&nbsp;
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  <div class="message"><p>As I hinted in the previous post, we do indeed have a gig lined up at <a href="/gigs">Karamel on Thursday 23 May</a>. This time they've decided we should play in the main restaurant area — which is where the jazz gigs normally are, albeit usually with smaller bands — instead of McQueens Theatre, where we've played before. Let's hope we fit! They had the London Jazz Orchestra, a standard 17- or 18-piece big band, in there recently, so we should be ok! I'm hoping, if we get a chance to rehearse it adequately, to add my newly…</p><span class="read-more pdf__hide"><a href="/news/blog/7353291/we-ve-got-a-gig-yay">Read more</a></span></div>
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    <p class="post-info"><span data-time="2024-02-18T15:19:24+00:00" title="February 18, 2024 15:19">02/18/2024</span></p>

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  <a href="/news/blog/7331975/album-in-progress">Album in Progress...</a>&nbsp;
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  <div class="message"><p>Yikes! I see it's nearly three months since I posted here. So first…</p><p>Happy New(ish) Year!</p><p>Other than that there's not a huge amount to report except that after a long hiatus due to his extreme workload, John Prestage has resumed contact, and we're currently batting back and forth a preliminary mix of <a href="https://perfectstranger.band/the-music"><i>Life &amp; Times part 1</i></a> in order to establish a general sound world in terms of reverb, overall EQ settings, bass and drums sounds, stereo image, etc. And so far it's sounding very promising. After that we get down…</p><span class="read-more pdf__hide"><a href="/news/blog/7331975/album-in-progress">Read more</a></span></div>
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    <p class="post-info"><span data-time="2024-01-11T15:20:45+00:00" title="January 11, 2024 15:20">01/11/2024</span></p>

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  <a href="/news/blog/7290059/new-title">New title...</a>&nbsp;
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  <div class="message"><p>...and speaking of titles (see <a href="https://perfectstranger.band/news/blog/7289560/the-album">previous post</a>), Life &amp; Times part IV is no longer rather lamely called <i>Final Fling</i>, but <i>“It’s weird being the same age as old people”</i> which, for me, is absolutely true! (I stole it from a t-shirt)</p></div>
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    <p class="post-info"><span data-time="2023-10-19T16:12:05+01:00" title="October 19, 2023 16:12">10/19/2023</span></p>

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  <a href="/news/blog/7289560/the-album">The Album</a>&nbsp;
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  <div class="message"><p>When it eventually appears, our debut album will be titled <i><strong>Unfinished Business</strong></i>. If you read about the <a href="/about">history of the band</a> you'll understand why!</p></div>
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    <p class="post-info"><span data-time="2023-10-18T18:40:23+01:00" title="October 18, 2023 18:40">10/18/2023</span></p>

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  <a href="/news/blog/7289550/the-recording">The Recording</a>&nbsp;
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  <div class="message"><p>Well, what a couple of days! It was highly intensive, taking about ten hours each day (including breaks of course). By the end of day 2, everyone was pretty shattered, but they'd all done an amazing job. There was some terrific ensemble playing, even through my impossible changes of time signature; and we had some lovely solos all round. In spite of the encroaching exhaustion, everyone gave it their all, for which I'll for ever be grateful.</p><p>AIR Studios is a superb facility, with every possible eventuality…</p><span class="read-more pdf__hide"><a href="/news/blog/7289550/the-recording">Read more</a></span></div>
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    <p class="post-info"><span data-time="2023-10-18T18:08:24+01:00" title="October 18, 2023 18:08">10/18/2023</span></p>

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  <a href="/news/blog/7289549/shadow-band-update">Shadow band update</a>&nbsp;
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  <div class="message"><p>There were three line-up changes among the 'newbies' before we had our rehearsal. Something lucrative came up for sax player Martin Hathaway - not surprising as he's a very well-known and respected player of long standing - so he dropped out, to be replaced by Harrison Perkins, another of the young crowd from the Guildhall. And for various reasons, Cody Moss (keys) was replaced by Will Inscoe and Tom Potter (drums) by Simon Spies - all Guildhall chaps.</p><p>Most importantly though, the rehearsal went really well…</p><span class="read-more pdf__hide"><a href="/news/blog/7289549/shadow-band-update">Read more</a></span></div>
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    <p class="post-info"><span data-time="2023-10-18T18:07:30+01:00" title="October 18, 2023 18:07">10/18/2023</span></p>

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  <a href="/news/blog/7232070/the-shadow-band">The shadow band!</a>&nbsp;
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  <div class="message"><p>No, this is nothing to do with The Shadows (although god knows I'm old enough). It's a complete set of deps who have agreed (for a modest fee) to keep the two recording days free and make themselves available to step in at the last minute if anyone in the band has to drop out for whatever reason. Four of them have already depped for us - you can see them in the <a href="/musicians#the-deps">‘Deps’ section of the Musicians page</a> (Will, George, Oli and Mike); <a href="/musicians#dave-manington">Dave</a> is ready to stand in for Paul on the bass (they know the music equally…</p><span class="read-more pdf__hide"><a href="/news/blog/7232070/the-shadow-band">Read more</a></span></div>
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    <p class="post-info"><span data-time="2023-06-25T15:35:52+01:00" title="June 25, 2023 15:35">06/25/2023</span></p>

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  <a href="/news/blog/7232065/visit-from-the-air-engineer">Visit from the AIR engineer</a>&nbsp;
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  <div class="message"><p>One reason I chose AIR Studios to record our album is the highly recommended engineer, John Prestage. Apart from his abilities and experience with the recording business, he has an attribute that's essential to this project: he can read a score. So last week he came to see me in East London, where we went through all the scores in detail looking for edit points and other details which will help me prepare and rehearse the band before the sessions.</p></div>
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    <p class="post-info"><span data-time="2023-06-25T15:23:27+01:00" title="June 25, 2023 15:23">06/25/2023</span></p>

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  <a href="/news/blog/7212585/as-promised-more-details">As promised, more details...</a>&nbsp;
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  <div class="message"><p>I did say we'd be recording at a top studio, and so we will. We're now booked into the superb AIR Studios in Hampstead, London for sessions on 9 and 10 October. It seems like a long way off, but there's <i>so much</i> to do in between!</p></div>
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    <p class="post-info"><span data-time="2023-05-20T15:08:05+01:00" title="May 20, 2023 15:08">05/20/2023</span></p>

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  <a href="/news/blog/7205697/at-last-an-album-in-the-works">At last! An album in the works...</a>&nbsp;
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  <div class="message"><p>Yes, we'll be recording our first album in October at… well, a studio in London. We're looking at several top studios, so wherever we do it it'll be a class recording! More details as available.</p></div>
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    <p class="post-info"><span data-time="2023-05-09T17:50:06+01:00" title="May 09, 2023 17:50">05/09/2023</span></p>

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