The Banter Cafe, open 24hrs

a reply to: LightSpeedDriver


While we seem to be having a bit of a guitar thing going, here is my current fave guitarist:



OK - nearly 9 mins long but got to be one of the best blues guitar solos ever.

a reply to: ClearlyNotMe

One of my favourite Floyd tracks
Oh and last one standing is a badge of honour after a crazy weekend haha!

Top tunes from everyone in the cafe today, I've actually worked on a Monday for a change so only now popped in lol
@oldcarpy, yes to that guitar playing!!

I like a bit of guitar every now and then.

But tonight is all about soul for me.....and it doesn't get any better than Northern Soul!

a reply to: Freeborn

"I walked away" omfg what a tune!
You post loads of cool music, maybe a couple of years wiser than me by genre age?

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

Got a very broad and eclectic taste in music.

Maybe the sign of a mis-spent youth skiving school.

Got into Marc Bolan when I was a young kid but when punk came along it was the clichéd life changer.
I was in my last year of primary school and it shaped my thought process and whole world perspective.

When I was a teenager music was an ever present.

Always known a lot of original Skins and been involved in and around the scooter scene.

And I've always liked a party and was lucky enough to go to The Hacienda back in the day so that's sort of where my appreciation for all things Madchester and a bit of interest in Rave and Trance music.

I started co-promoting Northern Soul nights in the late 90's using DJ's I'd met through the scooter scene.

I'm listening to a playlist whilst I'm typing this; everything from The 13th Floor Elevators, The Doors, early Stones, Bolan, The Pistols and The Clash, Crass, Teenage Fanclub, Carter USM, NMA, Oasis, Darude, Kraftwerk, OMD, blah blah blah and a bit of Ska and Northern thrown in!

I still listen to music on a daily basis but I've got to say music seems pretty bland at the moment.
The only half-decent one's tend to be retro bands trying to recreate or capture something from the past. There seems to be few bands / artists pushing boundaries and challenging the norm.

Sort of sums society up as a whole....dumbed down music for dumbed down people!

a reply to: Freeborn
Stones, Doors, Carter haha yes mate!
Here's something you may not know, US based, gutted I missed them in Bristol not so long ago...

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

Never heard of them before, pretty cool.

Just watched a video of them covering Ghost Town - pretty poignant showing the aftermath of Katrina in New Orleans.

Its a cold, damp and miserable day here today.

Cup of piping hot Yorkshire Tea, Corned Beef Hash followed by a small portion of Jam Roly-Poly and Custard to warm me up please Sir.

And a sprinkling of The Spree to cheer me up whilst I'm waiting;

a reply to: Freeborn
Tea is brewing, and good choice with corned beef hash, baked fresh this morning.
Excellent tunes, especially the Nirvana cover no.2, that is fantastic haha so much energy!!

Cloudy here but dry, could have worked today but wasn't feeling it when I woke up so sacked it off. Not an urgent job got until the end of the week to finish.
...loving Polyphonic Spree, where do you find this stuff?!

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

Sometimes you just can't beat traditional English fayre.

The Spree are just so Happy.....they cheer me up.

Always wanted to go and see them live, unfortunately never managed to.
Seen live video's and the atmosphere seems electric.

a reply to: Freeborn
Funny how people criticise British food isn't it, same as the warm beer thing, where did that myth come from, you ever had a warm pint? I haven't.

I'd love to have seen The Spree live as well, heck loads of bands I'd love to see, if I won the lottery I'd be at gigs every night somewhere.
Ah well, the local scene is pretty good here so it will have to do for this non millionaire lol

Any good bands you know from your local scene? These are pretty good from my parts, I've seen them in tiny pubs before they started getting bigger venues, loads of energy and good fun...

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

I've seen some of the 'biggest' bands and artists around.
I've literally seen hundreds upon hundreds of smaller, lesser well known one's and travelled the length of Britain to see some pretty obscure acts.
But there's still loads of bands I'd love to see.

The local music scene is reasonably lively at present and I do know quite a few bands / artists, predictably mainly punk and Ska.

Been a few line-up changes but known nearly all these lads for donkey's years;

en.wikipedia.org...

Lots of their stuff on YouTube

Grew up with all these lads. Lived next door to one for quite a few years, another lived round the corner and the bass player - who is an excellent musician - taught me rudimentary bass.
I sang backing vocals on some of their recorded stuff and they once made sing lead vocals on a live cover of SLF's Wasted Life;


I know most of these quite well;

a reply to: Freeborn


You do like your music! Not heard of any of those so will have a listen. Used to go to loads of gigs so really must make more of an effort. Did some roadying at university, that was an eye opener! Saw Gary Moore's (sadly missed, of course) guitar tech nearly in tears after GM had badly abused his vintage Strat.

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy

Some more of my mates.

These lads have toured with Rancid and Angelic Upstarts.
They are well worth a good look at - they are becoming reasonably well known, they deserve it.


Met these through some mutual friends.
Good lads.

a reply to: oldcarpy

I knew a lad who did some studio stuff with Gary Moore.

This lad was possibly the best guitarist I'd ever seen but he became a bit of a tortured soul, nothing was ever quite right for him.
He tried to explain it to me once; he said he could hear in his head exactly how he wanted his music to sound but he could never ever quite produce it.
He ended up killing himself all alone in London.

He was truly a lovely lad and such a talented guitarist....I miss him to this day.

Yes, I do love music - there's music for every occasion or mood.....just wish I could bloody play some myself!

a reply to: Freeborn


Sad story. Wish I could play better. Have had my guitar a while and don't seem to find the time - it needs a lot of practice to get good.

a reply to: Freeborn
Top tunes
I can definitely see your genre haha!
Bet Gimp Fist are a good night out at their gigs, I love finding local unsigned music, I've seen so many I think to myself why does the world not know about these?!

@oldcarpy what's rocking in Wiltshire right now?

a reply to: oldcarpy

Yes, sad story.
Unfortunately life is full of them.

Never could get my head around a six string guitar - or to be more exact couldn't get my fingers round it, fat fingers thin strings don't go together!

Used to play a bit of bass but tried for the first time in about thirty years about a year or so ago and you would never have thought I'd picked one up before - an abject failure
I also have some keyboards which I mess about with very occasionally. Anything more complex than chop sticks and I'm knackered.

When I was at primary school the pupils used to sing at requiem masses....I was politely asked to mime as my voice was so bad.
It got even worse when my voice broke.

Its probably the biggest frustration of my life that I love music so much yet I'm so crap at every aspect of it.

Still, there's always beer, now that's something I am good at!

a reply to: CornishCeltGuy


No idea, Cornish. Spend most of my time trying to tame our garden. I blame Monty Don and Gardeners World - always giving us jobs for the weekend. Mind you, the other week he said sometimes you need to sit back, do nothing and relax and enjoy your garden with your favourite tipple. Word.

Preparing for arrival of some more rescue chickens at weekend. Poor buggers have been in batteries all their life. Can't wait to see their little faces when they see their new home, bless them.

Normally some good bands and plenty of blasts from the pasts on at Cheese and Grain in Frome, but that's Zummerzet.

a reply to: oldcarpy
Aw the chickens sound cool, I used to have 8 laying hens, loved them, proper characters.
Frome, now that's somewhere I haven't been to in a while, it's just been a sign on the M5 to me for years.
You got me tempted because I've always had a good experience with zummerzet boys.

@freeborn, I can play the recorder well, just a pity it's the only instrument which still sounds # when played well

a reply to: Freeborn


I feel your pain. Beer, I'm good at that too, seem to have no trouble finding the time to practice that.

Fat fingers - get a Fat Strat type guitar, problem solved.