Hi guys! After four years away of working sabbatical in Germany, I am back in (London) town...

I used to do this:

One Life LIVE

Where can I see people like me (hopefully better) do what I do?
Where can I subject people to my self-indulgent muso things?

Thanks for all advice!!

Cheers

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www.bugiolacchi.com
Songwriter/guitarist

0 responses: let me understand...

• Don't Go Out to the Places you Like
• Not Bothered
• Don't Like Your Music
• Don't Like You

Please take part

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www.bugiolacchi.com
Songwriter/guitarist

I just don't know what to advise you Roberto. I liked your music on YouTube very much. But I don't know where you'd find its ilk or where you would best go about promoting/performing it in this town. Your music doesn't fit neatly into any obvious pigeon hole. Its not jazz but its too sophisticated to be much else. Personally I got a very Hispanic vibe from your sound, so I don't know if there's a niche Spanish music scene going on. There's certainly a Brazilian one but you know how hung up people can get on tradition.... Your music isn't really either of those but you might find an audience there. Apparently all the 'cool' people hang out around Hoxton these days but I go out of my way to avoid 'cool' so I really wouldn't know what goes on there. Last gig I went to around that part of town was the bass player Victor Bailey, playing to an audience of about 100. Of which about 10% got what they were hearing (which was world class +). I left in despair thinking 'how can that guy have come to London and not been put on at the Royal Albert Hall or even the Jazz Cafe'? There are small gigs to be had. One example is a regular (monthly) acoustic night organised by Chandler Guitars at a biggish pub next door. None of their usual performers are quite like you but you'd stand out and I'm sure be appreciated. There's no money in it. But talk to Neil at Chandlers to get plugged into that one. In my part of London you might try a long established and respected venue on the Old Brompton Road in Earls Court called the Troubadour. I can easily see your music going down there. But they do food and I don't know how your energy levels would work with that! Looking at my words I see a sad indictment of the live music scene in London, which to my mind is not at its zenith. There are probably a lot of DJs and Hip Hop performers who would correct me! There must be many more 'club' nights along the lines of what Chandler organise that I don't know about and where you could get some live exposure. Good luck and welcome back to London!

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Strictly project and just for fun

Whao, this is both flattening and helpful! Cheers!

Yes, 'grown up' music is slowly dying (apart from a few old-school 'stars'). I was in a shock, now around 10 years ago, to see the once mega star (Canadian) Gino Vannelli (of 'Brother to Brother', ' Black cars', fame) performing on Tottenham CR in front of around 100 people. His singing, his songs, his band's musicianship is astonishing! But no one cared. Back in Canada a couple of weeks after he recorded with a symphonic orchestra in one of the best concerts I ever heard (see youtube).

Yes, if I spin two plates of someone else's music, or chat on a two-bar loop, people would elevated me to a status of demi-God (allowing that I am of high standards in those fields and look cool in baggy trousers), but if I play guitar as someone who's dedicated 35 years to do something worthwhile and skilful (modesty aside), well, it's a McDonald world... fast, furious, and cheap. And if my lyrics talk about Afghanistan too... Going back to my teens years: playing with myself... for myself hoping that someone, one day, will appreciate my moves...

But it's demand and offer world, as always: while my peer group in the early seventies adored skill and experimentation (from Led Zep, Santana, to, yes, ELP) now the (popular) skill paradigm has shifted towards instant sonic gratification, with pumping tracks dynamically squashed to nought, hooks on beats, and pseudo-ghetto 'refugees' in love with themselves telling you what they are going to do with their newly acquired wealth and status (and... how 'tough' life on the street was before their naturally deserved lucky break come!).

In the end, I think people, I presume 'us', are to blame. We don't go out and see our peers, spend money on records (downloads, sorry!), support new (traditionally) skilled musicians, etc.., even though we have, in general more money to spend. Instead, we have locked ourselves in our spare rooms, bought enough toys emulating our heroes' tools of past (Moog and Rhodes plugins, Ivory, etc.) and produced music no one wants to hear any longer.

That's why I want to get out there again, drag myself away from the latest Cubase 6.5 upgrade (cheaper now...), and show what 35 years of practising can do, as a circus act. The hope, would be, to be able to supply another form of entertainment that has gone so out of fashion, again ...

Cheers anyhow, very, very useful advice!

PS it's so curious how our preconceptions in music tinges our understanding and appreciation of cultural expressions: for instance, the song 'One Life' was written many years ago in 'response' to the, then, Police vibe. It was supposed to fit in with that style and be thoroughly 'British'. Instead, my music was, and still is, often described as 'Latin' (or Hispanic, although I am Italian). I am sure it's my accent, actually I hope this to be, otherwise it would mean that as soon as you use a major 7 chord you land in bossanova/jazzy territory.. Another topic perhaps?

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www.bugiolacchi.com
Songwriter/guitarist

Quote bugiolacchi:

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...otherwise it would mean that as soon as you use a major 7 chord you land in bossanova/jazzy territory.. Another topic perhaps?

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And what's wrong with that! BTW I did notice you mentioned Carols Santana and when I was typing my earlier reply I thought he must have been an influence on you. (I nearly even said something about you music would probably go down better in California)!

I was also thinking, I've known people come out of nowhere and get a gig at the Half Moon in Putney, which is a very venerable relic of the slightly bigger 'pub circuit' (which no longer exists). But you'd want that to go well and need to know you have a core following before getting yourself booked there. I doubt there is any question that you'd get booked though.

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Strictly project and just for fun

Maybe try the folk/acoustic club circuit. There is an audience for talent, its just over there............ somewhere

I enjoyed your Guitar playing. Great skill and talent!

I don't think there's any shortage of skilled players out there, in fact there are probably more than ever. I have a friend who teaches guitar and the kids are fantastic players. You see back when i were a lad in the 70s, the people regarded as the best of the best were the claptons and santanas and pages and richards, townshenf, feliciano... tbh, these days the wouldn't get a look in.

These days the whole field has moved on, and i believe it's moved on because of youtube. Now we can go and watch amazing players with advanced technical skills, and we can get free lessons. Who ever heard of sweep picking in the 70s? EVH stood with his back to the crowd so that the hot LA players couldn't copy his technique. Now every kid has access to the lessons of the best in the world and they can be inspired by the most acomplished players in so many styles and fusions of styles. The whole "tapping" thing has given the guitar a whole new voice and some of the players doing that are taking the instrument to a new sonic place... and, they are happy to show everyone how to do it!

So the idea that the "playing" has somehow fallen by the wayside, nope. Yes the charts are full of the pumped beats that our ears probably don't find pleasing, but who listens to the charts, who cares? No, grown-up music is alive and well and being enjoyed the world over.

I have no idea what you could do. Just enjoy is the best advice. Fame is overated anyway.

I mostly agree with your sentiments. With caveats.. I king of recognise that the 'old' glories' instrumental technique have been 'overtaken' in terms of quantity, i.e. speed (in the guitar world) and sheer musicianship, but 'music', music is something else, for me.

Are there jazz guitarists more technical than George Benson? Yes, but his phrasing is so melodic and touching that he is VERY difficult to match, let alone imitate.

As per Santana, never himself claimed to be the 'best' user of the six stringed plank, but I bet any money that there are very, very few kids that can actually play, and communicate, phrase, and control dynamics and tempo as he does. I played guitar for over 30 years, I am not that bad (you can check my video link above), but I can't play Samba Pa Ti nowhere as well as Santana. His touch is a blessing and his control of the instrument magisterial. The song, i.e. the melody, happens to be rather good incidentally too.

So, in the played instrument field there is noe a lot of fast food playing, faster than ever, but few can do quality slow cooking of the Santana-Clapton-Beck-Gilmore school. Unless one knows better, and please do tell.

If anyone, and I am serious, can point me tonight in London to an artist that marries superb musicianship AND good compositions, please let me know, I will go to see and pay.

By the way, my childhood friend, Antonio Forcione is playing in September at the Pizza Express in Dean St., if you want to see all, speed, ownership of the instrument and, AND good music (you know, catchy melodies with interesting harmonies and 'grooves'), please go and hear him! Again, if anyone knows a 20 yrs that is doing the same, please ...

Interesting... let's carry on chatting..

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www.bugiolacchi.com
Songwriter/guitarist

I think one of the hardest things in art is to remain objective while at the same time leaving enough of ourselves to give the work soul, its a constant struggle.

Don't get me wrong, those 60s ad 70s players are my era too and that's the music i love to listen to, but i was young and that's when we fall in love with things: our homeland, the voice of our family, the smell of the land we grow up in, the faces and features of our homalanders, the sounds the sights and smells. Not much we can do about that as an average human, we are wired up to form our strongest bonds then.

But i try to do a bit of research when talking about things and i try to be objective. The alternative is to fall into a sort of romantic catatonic state where our vision is so blinkered that we may say things like "life was better during the war". Was it better? Not really by any measure. Did the person feel better? Well yes probably, they were young and all the world was their's.

True too of these players with all their technical skill. It is very easy for me (and i've done it) to poopoo the technoflashies, but what i realise is that there is some serious knowledge and study and hours of practice behind some of these players. And their dedication and discipline should probably be given a dof of our hats.

Ok, perhaps not so much soul, but then that comes later, like a good wine.

So when i see some 14 year old girl knocking off spot perfect Hendrix tunes on youtube, i know that when she has been through a bit more life she will play and make people laugh or cry.

I really do think that we are living through and watching a new renaissance where high levels of technical skill are attained far earlier and quicker than in my day. And when these things blossom and the cream rises to the top from this current crop of players, we are in for some incredible things - as long as we aren't too old and stuck in our ways to be open to it.

That's the objective me trying to keep my ears fresh. The real me is about to put on some old records made when times were slower.

True and 'all of that' ("them good ol'days" horror..), agreed!

Only one reflection: if 'we' listen and respect our 'heroes' (never had one as such, but...) who are now in their 60/70s (even Sting!), and the new crop are teens, what happened to the, let's say 25/55 years old lot? Forgot how to play? Lost in 'Reason'?

By the way, please if anyone can point me to music "I might like" produced in the last ten years (please don't include Muse or Radiohead..). I need to refresh my taste, and most of the stuff out there is pleasant but unimaginative (i.e. Coldplay), not sung (i.e. HipHop), trite (modern R&B), etc. Any new "Police, Weather Report, early Genesis, Steely Dan, dare I say, even Level 42", whom are not imitators of those 'masters', but bring something new to the 'sophisticated' musical table while still remain innovating (run out of breath... )?

Waiting to be educated and led.

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www.bugiolacchi.com
Songwriter/guitarist

Here's one for you: Porcupine Tree - a breath of fresh air in this hallowed isle. Listen to 'In Absentia' and just try not to be impressed!

The Sound of Muzak

Enjoy...

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

That was nice. How about some Ozric Tentacles? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhONp_VdCXE&feature=related

Some Amorphous Androgynous perhaps?

I've yet to listen to much from these guys, but I'm off to see Supersilent with John Paul Jones in November. They seem to be doing the abstract/modern/jazz thing. Probably not your thing though.

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http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

One of my favourite albums of all time is Felt Mountain from Goldfrapp. What a masterpiece, a blend of classical, electronica, pop, and experimentation. AND, as I always stress, the melodies and harmonies are great and catchy, tunes+production... what an underrated masterpiece!

Hence, I might follow your suggestion

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www.bugiolacchi.com
Songwriter/guitarist

There is no modern repacements or equivalents to Weather Report, or Return to Forever - or even Genesis or E.L.P.

And being able to play 'Portrait of Tracey' on youtube does not mean you are Jaco Pastorious, any more than when Daniel Barenboim plays sonatas he becomes the new Beethoven.

Every time someone points to some noobs that probably feature in Prog magazine, with a stupid name like 'Conundrum' or 'Enigmatica' - I am always profoundly dissapointed with some group that is either missing a cylinder, or thinks that odd time signature = musical genius, despite the fact that no body of any repute hardly ever uses them except geeks like Rush.

I wait for a youtube posting of someone contemporary playing something as good as 'a remark you made' - live.

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Nothing sensible to add to the thread except I enjoyed your music. Great stuff.

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Ohm's Law states, "Your PA isn't as powerful as you think it is".

Whao, Porcupine Tree are good! The drumming for one... And thanks for the kind words above.. Trying to bring my stuff live in London now, but having great trouble in finding anything but 'acoustic open-mic nights' (as good as some of them might be...).

I don't want to sound snobbish, but I am in that middle ground where I am not a beginner, but also not a 'signed' pro (as per kudos..) so I can't headline.. Tricky tricky.

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www.bugiolacchi.com
Songwriter/guitarist

Hey, Mate! Welcome back.
I only just returned here myself

P.S. can we have your old avatar back, please?

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Me? But I`m such a loveable old bugger!

Thanks! The same to you and also welcome back.
By the way, old avatar?

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www.bugiolacchi.com
Songwriter/guitarist