Attention Deficit Disorder - Scaledown 25th Nov

Really, who has the time or patience to bother with long songs? Life should mirror The Ramones' It's Alive album - no song longer than 2' 40".

Taking this approach down a slightly more extreme avenue will be Attention Deficit Disorder, a new one off project in which I will play 30 numbers in 15 minutes (that's 30 seconds per tune for those of you struggle with maths).

It'll be at SCALEDOWN, The King & Queen, 1 Foley St. London W1 on Fri 25th Nov. Admission is free, the evening kicks off at about half 7, and other acts include the mighty Don Tempi, Foulkestone and a bunch of other oddball acts.

Folk By The Fireside - 3rd Weds of each month at The Woolpack, Burgess Hill

Next Folk By The Fireside session at the Woolpack, Burgess Hill will be on Weds 18th Jan, tune up and chinwag from 8.30, music from 9. All singers, musicans and those who want to come along and listen will be most welcome:

Movember a go go

Tomorrow is the first day of Movember, the month formerly known as November, now dedicated to growing moustaches and raising awareness and funds for men’s health; specifically prostate and testicular cancer. This is a subject close to my heart, or close to my scrote to be more precise, as I had testicular cancer back in 1994. Happily it was found in good time and I was able to successfully confront it and whup it.

But hang on a doggone moment - you already have a 'tache!

Indeed I do, but I will shortly be digging out my rusty ol' razor and whipping off my 'tache and beard - first time my chin and top lip have been bare since 2008. My chops will remain though - they've been there since 1987 and I'm not about to whip them off, no matter how good the cause.

If you'd like to donate (or even join in) please click on http://mobro.co/eviljack where you can find full details of the 'Tache Team I have joined - Mr Mark Braby's Fancy Ticklers.

If you're wary of donating via electrickery you can write a cheque payable to “Movember”, reference my name and Registration Number 1861136 and send it to: Movember Europe, PO Box 68600, London, EC1P 1EF

Funds raised will help make a tangible difference to the lives of others. Through the Movember Foundation and our men’s health partners, The Prostate Cancer Charity and The Institute of Cancer Research, Movember is funding world class awareness, research, educational and support programs which would otherwise not be possible.

Thank you in advance for helping me change the face of men's health.

Dan Whaley

Freshly shorn of 'tache and beard, 31st Oct, 2011...

Charles Napier R.I.P.

So the sad news came through this morning that Charles Napier has died. I liked him enough to name a band and a couple of songs after him. About 10 years ago he heard about the Napiers, got in contact and told me how chuffed he was to have a band named in his honour. A fine fellow.

Other Bands

The Shockwaves (1984-88)

Mark Ashdown - Vocals, Guitar
Dave "Stick" Carroll - Guitar 84-86
Clive Pearman - Guitar 86-88
Dan Whaley - Bass
Jon Delafons - Drums

A bunch of teenagers with little or no interest in the music of their generation, instead brought up on a diet of punk rock, psychobilly, garage and noise. Highlights of their "career" include playing gigs at the mighty Hammersmith Clarendon & Sir George Robey in Finsbury Park, and recording 8 tracks with late, legendary producer Dave Goodman for a split LP on Mike Spenser's Hit Records that alas never saw the light of day. Shame really, as 20 years down the line the 8 tracks recorded still sound great (in my humble opinion)

After we ground to a halt in 1988, Jon went on to join The Shamen and has been drumming in The Alabama 3 since 1995. Clive and I have been playing on and off together ever since in The Napiers, The McDeath Trio, etc.

The Orange World (1986-87)

Matt Branton - Vocals
John Lambie - Guitar
Dan Whaley - Bass
Phil Jones - Drums

Probably the least said about this combo the better. Matt went on to be a celebrated novelist with a bunch of books out on Bloomsbury. Phil moved to NZ. John is now a University Lecturer in Cambridge.

The Insects (1989-91)

Gaius de Smidt - Vocals, Keyboards Dan Whaley - Guitar, Vocals John Skittles - Bass Paul Rollins - Drums The first band following my switch from bass to guitar, and the beginning of a 16 year partnership with John Skittles which carried on right up to the demise of the Napiers in 2005. The Insects' music was a folk/punk hybrid, occasionally veering dangerously too far to the folk side of the fence for my tastes at that time. Oh the irony that I now run a folk club... The Million Lira Quartet (1998-99) Steve Pomeroy: Vocals/Guitar Dan Whaley: Guitar/Vocals Tim Potter: Double Bass Keith Wilson: Drums Originally envisioned as a one off playing rock'n'roll numbers for Keith's wedding, we all had such a blast that we decided to carry on. The name of course is a pun on The Million Dollar Quartet featuring Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins & Jerry Lee, the joke being that a million Lira was worth about sixteen quid. A year later Tim & I departed but were replaced (after a few false starts) by Andy Sier (Sires/Bristols/Honey & The Hucksters/The Turnabouts) on guitar and John Skittles (Napiers/Diaboliks/Wolfmen) on bass with the band now going under the name of The One Eyed Jacks. For further info on Steve Pom, check out his website http://www.stephenjpomeroy.com/ The Turnabouts (2000) Steve Pomeroy: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums Andy Sier: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums Dan Whaley: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums This band only existed for one rehearsal, one 3 song live set & one recording session. The idea behind it was to take three multi-instrumentalists, pick 3 songs and have the musicians rotate instruments for each song, which worked very well indeed, even if I do say so myself. The Dragnet 3 (2001-02) Nico Van Malssen: Drums & Vocals Dan Whaley: Bass & Vocals Sander Van Malssen: Guitar In 2001 I was living in Holland and itching to start a new band, so thanks to a fine fellow by the name of SJ Bink I was introduced to Nico, whose combo with his brother Sander (The 1-2-5) was in mothballs at that time. The three of us got together in a dingy Amsterdam basement, bashed out a selection of garage classics and Nederbiet numbers and within 3 months were hopping on a plane to London to support Wilko Johnson at the Dirty Water Club. Further gigs followed at a trash festival at The Cluny in Newcastle, at the Wild Weekend in Benidorm and finally in our adopted home town of Amsterdam before our premature demise caused by my permanent return to the UK. By this time Sander & Nico had pulled the dust covers off the 1-2-5, which carried on until 2008 or so. Update: On Friday 20th April 2007 I hopped up to play on a couple of numbers with The 1-2-5 at the Dirty Water Club in Tufnell Park, so all 3 Dragnets were on stage at the same time for the first time in 5 years. Also playing were the fantastic Thanes and Greece's excellent Frantic V. Further update: On Saturday 14th July, 2007 we reconvened in a rehearsal room in Amsterdam. Sander pulled out a setlist from our last gig in 2002 and to our utter amazement about 3/4 of it sounded like we'd last played it a week ago, rather than 5 1/2 years ago. Next rehearsal is booked for sometime in 2012... Further further update: Summer 2011 - Elvi from Italy is doing her best to get the Dragnets back together. In principle we're all up for it, so if we can overcome the geographical limitations (and our collective idleness), we may well be treading the boards again. I think Sander has put together a Dragnet 3 Facebook page, but as I am vehemently anti Facebook I can't verify this. The Silencers (2003-05) Geoff Graham: Vocals & Piano Pete Bradbury: Guitar & Vocals Dan Whaley: Bass Paul DuPoy/Graham Leaney/Craig Joynes/Mark out of Slight Return: Drums It all started in early 2003 when I answered an ad placed by Pete looking for a bass player /singer to join a blues trio. It didn't take Pete long to see that although I can play the bass, I can't sing for toffee, so to cut a long story short we hooked up with the extremely talented joanna spanker Geoff Graham and started playing pub gigs, more often than not with stand in drummer Mark as regular drummers tended not to hang around too long. By mid 2005 the ongoing drummer difficulties were proving too much hassle, so we called it a day. Pete & Geoff went on to form Beatville, and Geoff & I formed The Flaming Czars. The Flying Saucers (2008) Geoff Graham: Vocals & Piano Dan Whaley: Guitar Tim Potter: Double Bass Danny O'Brien: Drums Born out of a Flaming Czars rehearsal in March 2008 when Geoff put his accordion down, sat at the piano and said "let's play some rock'n'roll". Danny & Tim were both happy to lend a hand on drum'n'bass, so on 25th April 2008 we had a quick runthrough/rehearsal of 4 R'n'R stompers (this being the first time Geoff & Tim had ever met, and the first time Geoff, Tim & Danny had played together). 20 minutes later we played the tunes live to a rapturous audience. Waterfield & Whaley (2008-) Mark Waterfield: Vocals, blowy things Dan Whaley: Strummy things Union folk songs, played on whatever instruments happen to be available The Brilleaux Pads (2008-) JBrilleaux: Lee Ricko Johnson: Wilko Dan B Sparks: Sparko The Little Figure: The Big Figure Yep, in case you can't make head nor tail of what's written above, The Brilleaux Pads were a Wilko-era Dr Feelgood tribute band. The idea was first mooted in early 2003, but it took us 5 years and a drunken evening to actually do something about it. The Earls of Monte Cristo (2010-) Dan: Cigar Box Guitar Clive: Cigar Box Guitar Plus a few others... Green Ray (1991) Dan Whaley: Guitar Mark Ashdown: Bass Mark Braby: Drums Alas never made it out of the rehearsal room (which more often than not was my front room) The Electric Nuggets (1994) Alan Lacroix: Vocals & Guitar Clive Pearman: Guitar Dan Whaley: Bass Paul Rollins: Drums Specially convened for one gig only. Didn't have a name until we were on stage and the MC asked what we were called and as we were playing a bunch of 60s garage stormers The Electric Nuggets seemed to fit the bill. Alan Lacroix is a blisteringly good guitarist, and a damn fine singer too. The Pete Sounds Houseband (1997) Steve Pomeroy, Dan Whaley, Mark Braby, Adrian Morris (all playing Guitar, Bass, Drums, Vocals, etc backing a host of guest vocalists/musicians performing the songs of Monsieur Pete Evans) The Ray Mondo Combo (2002) Studio-only band featuring Danny O'Brien, Dan Whaley, Andy Boyal, Hatch End Joe and El Gimpo. Sole recording was the magnificent spaghetti western-ish 'Pistolo de Oro' The Whom (2002) Billy 'Bossa' Taylor: Daltrey Steve Pomeroy: Townshend Dan Whaley: Entwistle Mark Braby: Moon Put together for a one off gig. Rehearsals were fantastic - Braby's Moon impersonation was spot on - he managed to wreak equal amounts of havoc upon the rehearsal room drumkit and his hands after the first song. Annoyingly (for me, anyhow) art imitated life and at the last minute I was unable to make the gig (not, I hasten to add, because I was found dead whilst conkers deep up a Vegas hooer - much more mundane - my daughter was ill) so Andy Hale stepped in and was the Pino Palladino to my John Entwistle. Unnamed Pub Rock Combo (2003) Pre-Silencers band comprising Pete Bradbury & me on Guitar & bass, the stunningly-voiced Susie on vocals and excellent drummer Guy Hall. One day Susie just vanished off the face off the earth and that was the end of that. Unnamed Rock'n'Roll Combo (2003) Never made it out of the rehearsal room (thank GOD). The only good thing to come out of this fiasco was Geoffthepianist (see The Flaming Czars and The Silencers) Wheezin' Honeydew Van Buren & Hamfisted Willie Jefferson (2004) Dan Whaley: slide guitar Clive Pearman: resonator Put together for the second Scaledown night in July 2004, at which we played a selection of New York, Manchester and Earlsfield folk blues numbers The Hideous Replicas (2005) Stood in on bass for a couple of rehearsals in preparation for a gig supporting some twerp from the Inspiral Carpets that alas fell through The Redeemers (2005) Mid 2005 The Napiers & The Silencers had both split and in a panic I jumped into the first band that came along. Nice guys, but not really what I wanted to do, so I jumped straight out again, but recommended Graham from The Silencers to them when they found themselves drummerless, who is still bashing the skins for them Long Tall Shorty (2005) For 3 rehearsals I was the bassplayer in LTS. Then the departing bassist decided he didn't want to leave after all so I joined the long, long list of ex-members of LTS. Shame, it would have been nice to have done at least one gig with them. Double Cutching Daddies (2007) Steve Pom: Vocals & git Dan: Git & vocals Danny: Drums & vocals Mike O: lap steel Shitkickin' Truckdrivin' Motherlovin' Country combo. Only did one gig, but gave us an excuse to wear our best duds'n'stetsons. Sheeeeeeeeit.

Laszlo Klemke - renowned late Czechoslovakian composer (of Hungarian descent)

For many years it was assumed that the entire repertoire of late lamented Czechoslovakian film composer Laszlo Klemke had been lost (his grandmother was Hungarian if you're wondering about his first name...)

However, now, many years after his death, some of his magnificent film soundtracks are finally starting to see the light. Selected highlights from his scores to zany spy capers "The Spyral Suitcase" and "The Danube Affair" have been released on Pumf Records' Godspunk Volumes 9 & 10.

And as if that wasn't exciting enough, Klemke's theme tune to arty French film "Le Treizieme" has just been redicovered.

All 3 can be heard here:

The Spyral Suitcase
The Danube Affair
Le Treizieme

The McDeath Trio

Sinister, Stripped Down Instrumental Combo

The McDeath Trio started life in July 2005, shortly after the end of The Napiers, and was initially a studio-only project consisting of me on guitar, bass and drums. However, I then booked myself a gig, and realising I wouldn't be able to play all 3 instruments live at the same time, I elected to play git and enlisted old pals Clive and Danny on bass and drums.


Not exactly the hardest working band in showbusiness, we play every now and then, if someone asks us nicely.


On a couple of occasions it has been our absolute pleasure to back up the mightily talented Stephanie O'Brien (out of The Puppini Sisters)

What'd They Say

"a guitar, a bass and half a drumkit...what more do you need?" - Me "The McDeath Trio were great, they confirm my formerly stated theory that 'the smaller the drum kit, the better the band'...and they're the sort of band I'd like playing at my wedding. " - Skitster, commenting on our first gig at Scaledown on 25th Nov 2005 "Please could you play 'Too Drunk To Fuck' at my wedding?" - Skitster, a couple of days before we did indeed play at his wedding "...the embers of 'Mondo Wray' band The Charles Napiers reborn as a hyper stripped down instrumental bar band ... just bass, guitar, snare and cymbal. The punky, crunchy knowingness of the Napiers has been replaced by a nervy reverb-twang cool. And I, like most others of those present, loved it. Of course it seemed a fitting tribute to Link Wray too." - Richard Sanderson, commenting on our first gig at Scaledown on 25th Nov 2005 "I loved 'Work Song'. That was 'Work Song' wasn't it?" - Big Joe Louis "Could you play 'Rawhide' for Frankie Valli?" - Polite elderly gent at Oval Tavern gig. I think he meant Frankie Laine "This is certainly a band that believes in placing its own stamp firmly on whatever tune they play…. All are delivered at pretty high volume, but in beautifully laid-back way (the words "sinister" and "stripped down" do indeed spring to mind) that makes the McDeath Trio a pleasure to observe." - Hang Nine "That's a great guitar sound, that." "Yeah, what sort of guitar sound is it then?" "Err, well, it's, err, a guitar sound" - Two punters overhead chatting at the bar at Sunday Swingin' "They asked me if I wanted to play with them on their version of Harlem Nocturne tonight, but as I'm doing it in my set I told them to piss off" - Terry Edwards, shortly before playing a blistering Harlem Nocturne at the Orchestra Pit 26th Sept, 2008 "Red Right Hand makes a damned good surf guitar tune" - The Afterwardsness, having just watched us play a damned good sinister stripped down instrumental, not surf, version of RRH "The other half of the drumkit?" - Nifty Eagu, in response to the tagline of "a guitar, a bass and half a drumkit...what more do you need?" "Rock Veterans" - Time Out, in the preview of the 14th July, 2010 What's Cookin' gig with Steph. Veterans I can just about understand, but "Rock"? I don't think so.