Concrete Head @ Bridlington Leisure World 1995, only another 2000 people and we would have filled the place, sometimes it's not that nobody came, it's that you were over optimistic when choosing a venue.
I have read a few of these sort of blogs of late, largely because a few of my friends have finally lost the plot and started to promote extreme metal gigs, and ultimately lost money on ninety nine percent of them, thus resulting in them getting pissed of and posting comments on social media about apathetic audiences, or posting blogs posts not dissimilar to this one. So here is my two pence worth of hints, advice, insults and facts on the subject.
First of all, in all honesty, I wish your band would split up and fuck off. If I could fast forward your bands career to the part when you sell your equipment to buy a washing machine for your ambitionless baby machine wife then I would. More gigs for me. Or as a compromise you could start a wedding band and play polite quiet gigs of pop crap to knobheads, great. More gigs for me.
It's good to have lot's of effect pedals, especially when most of them are distortions. This is the arsenal of effect pedals used by me and Chris for guitar and bass on a first session of the recordings for the new jackal headed guard of the dead album...
Onstage with Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead at Bannermans Bar Edinburgh December 2012. The debut appearance of the V
A whole bunch of my mates did the best thing ever and put money together to get George Corcoran to build me a custom guitar for my 40th birthday and I got it today and it is bloody brilliant. I had no idea it was being made and laughed when I saw it because it was exactly what I wanted. Over the previous couple of months the CIA had been tapping my phone and various SAS and Taliban operatives used hypnosis, surveillance, telepathy and subterfuge to secretly discover what my dream guitar would be, by asking me, and me being a trusting sort didn't twig... Anyway thanks to all the skulls who chipped in and to George for making it!!!
Amplifier and cab setup for Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead recording session 2013
I got my Fender in 1995 for 175 quid. It is very fucking loud. I think it sounds great for all the heavy distorted music I make. Whether that be stoner, sludge, grind, punk or black metal. If you want a scooped sound or ultra futuristic digitally saturated sound you can fuck off.
With Man of the Hour at The Camden Underworld in 2007
My second guitar. I got this in 1984 and it is fucking great. I've had a Khaler trem stuck on it, Grover tuners and it's had Select by EMG & now Dimarzio pickups in it. I'm not sure exactly how old it is as it was second hand when I got it. Not bad for fifty quid.
My B.C. Rich was my third guitar. I got it in 1989. Some folk say it is shit because it is Korean. It's lasted me fine. I put a Khaler trem system on it and it's had millions of pickups in it over the years. Anyway here we are with some pictures, videos and posters of me using my old bitch. Once sleek, now battered, still metal.
Wielding the bitch with Warp Spasm at the Tower Nightclub, Hull 1992.
Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead are an instrumental doom trio from Edinburgh, Scotland. Formed in October 2008 by Chris Smith on bass, Stuart Gordon on drums and Tommy Concrete on guitar. Influenced by bands such as Runemagick, Electric Wizard, Karma to Burn, Burning Witch, Acrimony, Iron Monkey & all that sort of shit.
2008 Single malt bongs
In the beginning, at every band practice, Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead would ritualistically consume cannabis through a bong filled with a fine Scottish malt. Failing that, a case of Grozet usually did the trick.
Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead phasing between this reality and Leng.
2009 Scottish ale only
Stu onstage in Bannermans Bar Edinburgh, the first gig in Jan 09. Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead appeared at this show under the billing Lovejoys White Jeans.
Another early show sometime in 2009 this one was at Henry's Cellar bar in Edinburgh.
The debut CD. Grimoire, recorded at Shoresound studios August 2009. We got loads of complaints from disgusted birds for the artwork. So we put it on a shirt and got even more complaints.
Music video for 'The Despicable Mr Whately' from Grimoire.
Bannermans bar, Edinburgh.
A short film demonstrating how to make cannabis tea by boiling the oils off your weed grinder in the same time it takes to make two fried meat sandwiches. The music is the demo version of 'The Howling Teeth of Space' and some existential reportage footage of Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead in the studio.
2010 Pork pies and speed
Bannermans bar, Edinburgh.
Chris in Chambers Studio with the pentagram of chip spice that appeared of it's own sinister design on the studio floor. This was a direct result of the riffs.
Recording 'The Sky Has Been Riven and Our Flesh Has Been Rent'.
Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead on their way to Leng.
Music video for 'Levelling Up' from 'The sky has been riven and our flesh has been rent'
The artwork for 'The sky has been riven and our flesh has been rent'. By Vic Victory of Conquest of Steel.
Tour poster for The Levelling Up Tour. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle & Hull.
Bannermans bar, Edinburgh.
Head of Steam Newcastle.
Stu and Tommy onstage at The Adelphi Club in Hull at Spudstock as part of The Levelling Up Tour.
Bannermans bar, Edinburgh.
Bannermans bar, Edinburgh.
Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead playing Humourless Meat Expert live at Bannermans Bar in Edinburgh.
Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead playing Richard Upton Pickman live at Bobfest in Penicuik.
13th Note, Glasgow.
Blood of Christ. Doom and Black Metal all Dayer. Bannermans bar, Edinburgh.
Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead live at The Blood of Christ, doom and black metal all dayer at Bannermans Bar in Edinburgh.
Studio XIII party at The`GRV in Edinburgh.
Chris, some birds sock as a puppet and Tommy pissed backstage at the Studio XIII party.
2011 Steak pie suppers and full fried breakfasts
Bannermans bar, Edinburgh.
Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh.
Shirt, designed by JFK @ Studio XIII Tattoo.
Jackal-Headed Guard of dead did a tour that they couldn't be bothered to give a name. So it became known as The Stealth Tour which went to Perth, Edinburgh, Newcastle & Durham.
Corina Perth.
Bannermans bar, Edinburgh.
Venue Newcastle.
Mike and Rob who were The Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead slaves for The Stealth Tour, pretending to sleep after the Newcastle gig.
Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead playing 'Crushed by Dread' live at The Fishtank in Durham, the final gig of The Stealth Tour.
Bannermans bar, Edinburgh.
Tommy didn't play on this gig, his stand in was Stuart Bennie from Paper Beats Rock.
Bannermans bar, Edinburgh.
2012 Strongbow and Space Raiders
Bannermans bar, Edinburgh.
Here we have Tommy Concrete, Wino & Stuart Bennie pissed in Bannermans.
Old Town Undersound festival in Edinburgh. Due to various commitments with Tommy & The Exploited, Stuart & Gareeda & Chris & The Lords of Bastard, Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead played this as their last show for a while.
Getting leng as fuck in the studio
Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead are currently writing their next album they might play live before then but it is unlikely that they will play much. In the meantime Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead would like you to think upon this image of a mini pork pie seasoned with amphetamine sulphate perched atop some chip spice until they return from Leng.
