Recent posts

August Bank Holiday

Submitted by steve on Wed, 01/09/2010 - 11:55

We had a busy weekend........... Friday night saw us at The Dalesman in Leeds; near Kirkham Abbey to be exact and we played to a very enthusiastic and warm audience. You know when you can't put a foot wrong and I loved being told by more than one person that we were great - we'll be going back there for sure. The kebab on the way home was good as well!

White Hart, Calow

Submitted by highlystrung on Tue, 31/08/2010 - 13:04

Hi,

Just a quick note to say thank you from Highly Strung for all your hard work in making yesterdays outdoor gig at the White Hart a great success.

The time and effort you put into setting up your P.A. equipment for the other bands to use was most appreciated.

I have had some positive feedback from some of our followers regarding the sound mix you created for our "warm up" spot - we had a great time on stage and the sun even shone on us for some of the time.

aaa

8% Of all the guitars in the world have been owned by me!

Submitted by steve on Mon, 23/08/2010 - 21:01

NEW GEAR

Submitted by steve on Thu, 05/08/2010 - 15:24

For any devotees of my gear page this will be NEWS! Puzzled by the fact that I have 2 Bad Horsie Wah pedals? Well to confuse you I now have a Bad Horsie 2! Does that make four..................

Oh, and have bought a 77 Les Paul Custom with three pickups - like Peter Frampton, well mines natural! Don't worry we aren't going all classic rock, its more Mick Ronson than the former mod.

That's it for now,

 

Steve

Let Me Be Your Swampsnake!!!

Submitted by steve on Thu, 05/08/2010 - 15:20

Now officially over 3000 unique hits. For anybody who thinks this kind of stuff is important, at the time of writing Swampsnake has racked up 3004 hits in the last couple of years. Mr Pleasure and Fire on the Moon is behind, but posted quite a bit later - we're looking at over 2000 hits there. Bobbing way behind are some vids from the USA as well as fan postings - I can only assume that its this website that is directing viewers where they need to go; hang on a couple of weeks while I get the Google diagnostics out!

Keep up the good work and look out for some more vids,

USA Tour - Watch This Space!

Submitted by steve on Sat, 31/07/2010 - 13:44

The USA trip is now just 7 weeks ago and the squeaking organisational wheels are being oiled to turn more quickly. Contracts are now with the venues and festival organisers and we have sepcified our riders - how rock and roll is that. Logistics are being sorted out and we are looking forward to re-acquainting ourselves with Larry who looked after us so well last year. We're also gearing up for merchandising and we have a great design for T-shirts and a backdrop - different designs but the former created for us by a very good friend of the band.

Feeling wistful.......keep music live!

Submitted by sharon on Sat, 29/05/2010 - 13:17

Hi all - I woke up feeling wistful this morning after our first proper gig with Kim our new drummer at the Victoria Club in Chesterfield last night - a great venue, fantastic stage, big room, good acoustics and staff who really seem to care about music and want to keep rock music playing there. I am not sure if I dreamt/remembered or imagined a night of people dancing, loving live music and engaging with the band. Didn't it used to be like that?

PERSONAL POLITICO-MUSICAL MESSAGE ot THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Submitted by steve on Sat, 01/05/2010 - 23:50

OK, I'm from the North West the root of the country's wealth during the industrial revolution through to the late-mid 20th century. Here we have new creative industries like music with the major cities having a significant contribution to exports and GDP - in Manchester it was bands like the Happy Mondays and Stone Roses' latterly Doves and Elbow. Take That..... mmm, yes, weren't they that band that cavorted in bondage gear and leather in front of middle aged confused men in gay bars. Indeed.

GIGS WANTED - HELP NEEDED - PINTS GIVEN!

Submitted by steve on Tue, 27/04/2010 - 11:52

Oh dear, we wound down on the gig-getting front last year for a number of reasons, finally exhausting our booked gigs in February this year - playing just two or three gigs between September and December 2009 but still racking up nearly 70 gigs in that year.

 What's happened -well venues have shut and we are in competition, ahem, with a whole load of new bands playing covers where we do them and a bit of a lull everywhere else. We can get gigs but very little is around until much later in the year.

The Amplifres Scorch America - again

Submitted by steve on Tue, 27/04/2010 - 11:45

Planning is progressing in respect of a short tour of the USA this September. We are working with a professional promoter and agent as well as Larry and it looks like we will be playing in three states - NY, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The profile will be raised for this tour and we're likely to be playing to minimum audiences of around 250 and with the probability of a small festival headline slot chucked in for good measure - its looking like Pittsburgh.

 Keep scanning the pages for more news,

Steve

The future's bright......

Submitted by sharon on Sun, 11/04/2010 - 23:17

Another blog from me! I really must get my act together and put my thoughts down more often.

 But I was so pleased with our most recent practice that I wanted to share it! It felt for me like coming home musically, like we were all excited by what we were playing and sounded fantastic together. My voice seemed to be coming from somewhere else - if you know what I mean - as if it was bypassing my brain! That is a great feeling......a kind of altered state...

Introduction

Submitted by Larry on Tue, 23/03/2010 - 14:47

When it comes to blogging I am quite lost. I have spent much time enjoying The Amplifires music and the friendship of the persons who make up this enjoyable group. Changes happen but noone who ever ventures close to The Amplifires is ever forgotten. 2009 was an excellent year full of adventure and song. 2010 has been even better yet still barely underway. This is due mostly because of the members relentless pursuit of gigs across the U.K. and building toward the second U.S. tour in the fall.

(almost complete) set list

Covers

Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones
Buck Rogers - Feeder
Swampsnake - Sensational Alex Harvey Band
Cum on feel the Noize - Slade
Birth, School, Work, Death - the Godfathers
Date with the Night - the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
House of the Rising Sun - the Animals
Hush - Deep Purple
I Don't Need no Doctor - Humble Pie
Voodoo Train - the Bellrays
Locomotive Breath - Jethro Tull
Midnight Radio - Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Get Back - the Beatles
C'mon C'mon - the Von Bondies

Kim Patrick Chester - Drums

Kim started drumming in a school rock band (embarrassingly called ‘The Fleeting Carcass Blues Band' and covered Cream, Mayall and Hendrix songs (very badly) when they were in the charts - this gives his age away.

At 13 he was shown drum basics by a schoolmate in Market Rasen, Rod Temperton who later wrote and played Boogie Nights with Heatwave and then wrote Thriller and other hits for Michael Jackson.

Feels like starting over

Submitted by david on Thu, 04/03/2010 - 22:49

I almost remember how to do this, writing on a new fangled, coal powered processing machine - it's been a long long time coming !!

SURFACE UNSIGNED FESTIVAL - 28th February 2010 - Birmingham

Submitted by steve on Sun, 14/02/2010 - 20:26

With Kim Chester ensconced firmly on The Amplifires drum throne we play the Unsigned Festival heat in Birmingham on 28th February 2010. The event will take place at the Flapper and Firkin. If you turn up you can vote for us to help us get through to the final gig at the 02 Academy in London - turning up would be cool.

 If you can't get there you can still vote by text vote - here's how:

 1st - Set up a text and enter 'Midlands';

2nd - Leave a space;

3rd - enter 3072 which is our unique number

KIM CHESTER - NEW AMPLIFIRES DRUMMER

Submitted by steve on Sun, 14/02/2010 - 20:15

Kim Chester has arrived and is now sat on the Amps drum stool. Ruth left in December due to a change in personal circumstances. She's still a friend of the band and we all wish her well for the future.

 Kim has a wealth of experience in a load of different styles and will add considerably to The Amplifires sound and presence. First outing will be at The Unsigned Festival on 28th February 2010 - we are playing the Flapper and Firkin in Birmingham - tickets available now!!!!!

Cheeeeeeese Gromit!

Submitted by steve on Fri, 22/01/2010 - 16:37

Brilliant! When asked "what's the biggest myth about the rock world?" Brett Anderson from Suede said "That it's a procession of carnal glamour; it's actually about spending a lot of time backstage, sitting on grubby sofas and fiddling with bits of cheese"

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Submitted by steve on Tue, 05/01/2010 - 13:19

... to you all. 2010, who'd have thought we'd have got here 10 years ago when everyone (well except those geeks who convinced right-minded people to pay them a fortune to stare at a VDU screen for hours on 31st December - they took the piss and drank champagne whilst watching a re-run of Breakfast Club) was worrying about the Y2K Bug.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Submitted by steve on Thu, 24/12/2009 - 11:08

Regular visitors to the site may have been a bit disappointed that there has been little new in recent weeks. Well that's going to change real soon as we start to announce news and our plans for 2010 - including our return to the USA. And David and Larry are really busy preparing the ground for that. Meantime Larry has been building a home for us on meez.com - have a look at http://www.meez.com/roomz.dm?act=view&room_id=dr1.Kj5yAbcqlkDb&r=536223

Losehill Hall and the dancing dervish (but he didn't last long!)

Submitted by sharon on Tue, 08/12/2009 - 00:49

Long time no blog....thought I had better break my silence and mention our recent gig in the wilds of Derbyshire (the best county in the UK, of course!) in Castleton or thereabouts. It brought back memories for me as I remember going on a train to Hope station as a child with my parents and my brother to experience camping and walking and other healthy outdoor pursuits. I can almost feel the bracing air in my lungs....

It's only Night Time

No Cake, Just Rock!!!!

Submitted by steve on Wed, 28/10/2009 - 10:42

Amplifires ready to rock town joint: Burton Mail, 16 October 2009

Submitted by ruth on Tue, 20/10/2009 - 23:13