Week 137: Making a base in an artistic community

Hi Guys!

I'm going to be jamming with a lot of people this summer. I've got a new headquarters at Betahaus Barcelona in Gracia. I've been exchanging English classes for office space. 

Now I'm jamming with collaborators to work on music projects including a covers band, a duo, RedEyeZack Band for October performances as an electric entity; bass, drums, keyboards, guitars and vocals!!

Here are 2 videos that I have left after losing my YouTube channel:

These Are The Days Of Our Lives from RedEyeZack on Vimeo.


Hold Me from RedEyeZack on Vimeo.

I'll be recording and working on creating more professional content with video and sound. There is even a 3D video project which I will keep you up to date on.

Enjoy the summer! I'll be working on my tan;)

PLJ
Zack aka RedEyeZack

Week 135: Free Gig - Unplugged Acoustic at L'Astrolabi (Gracia)

Hi Guys!

And now for my next gig... Yes, It's free! A tiny place in Gracia. Can probably fit 20-30 people. There is no P.A. system, mics or even an amp, so it will be completely unplugged! It's a chance for me to play in an intimate space and invite some friends to perform some of the songs with me.

RedEyeZack + Friends

Saturday June 15th, 21.00

L'Astrolabi - MARTINEZ DE LA ROSA 14 (GRACIA)

Barcelona, SPAIN

Description:

L'Astrolabi not just a bar of Grace, but what is perhaps the most emblematic in Barcelona songwriters world. For the curious, "Astrolabi" is the name of a navigational instrument used to measure the height of the sun or Polaris. The name serves the pirate props this place has decorating the walls ans ceiling. For 9 years it has been putting on live music concerts daily and watching artists grow as Dani Flaco, El Sobrino del Diablo, DePop ...

A concert party "bareback" every day, every Thursday you can hear "Puentos"; magnificent storytelling duo who use poetry too. Small, cozy and without amplification.

I look forward to meeting you there for an informal evening of original music. Come and have a drink with us, a great excuse to catch up with old friends and invite new ones too.

PLJ

Zack aka RedEyeZack

Week 125: Finding Local Musicians

Hi Guys!

I recently met up with Alexis (who I've been trying to meet up with since Xmas). He's outside Barcelona. He's been playing lead guitar in various bands for five years. I'm going to check them out soon. He was kind enough to come into Barcelona to meet me. Later Tatiana joined us. 

Last July Tatiana and her colleagues from Lampli organized a music festival called Petit Burg Festival ( a small format, I was there for the weekend and it was great, located in a lovely place up in the Pyrenees mountains, in Burg Village, they combined music with theatre, workshops etc..it had great local success) . I had seen a few videos of artists called ANÍMIC filmed performing on a bridge in the countryside. She also writes a blog about music, so it will be interesting to exchange ideas.

My blog has just had its most successful post 'technology as an accelerator'. With over 750 views, it's also pulling up another blog about looking for small venues. Traffic has increased 10x since I started in Sept 2012. I'd like to embed the blog on my own website- www.Redeyezack.com to get music lovers to explore the songs on the site and get involved in the Barcelona community scene. It's a bit tricky and I'll have to look into RSS feeds.

POOL - EP Release Party!

It's important to support musicians you know that have a similar passion for music as you do. And it's interesting to know local bands who are active and releasing material. So, then at 10pm I headed off to continental and met Gille's band POOL on a street corner giving out last minute flyers! Well done guys... 5 euros to enter on a Saturday night, a drink or beer around 3.50e and 6e for a spirit drink. Lighting of the bar was cool, just great for low light colour photos. I loved the luminous paintings of cool celebs.

POOL played 2 songs before starting my favourite 3rd track with the funky electric guitar part played by Gilles on Piano-synth. It was a bit  chilli peppers- give it away/pearl jam-alive/lenny kravitz  with
guitar riff played on keys... Awesome and got the crowd going!

Checkout Claudia's sultry vocals on Pool's song 'Crazy' in this video slideshow.
POOL are:
Claudia Steccato - voice
Gilles Estoppey - piano / rhodes
Pau Sala - electric bass

Source

Week 118: Setting up a covers band

Hi Music Lovers!!

This picture was taken in a cocktail bar called 7Sins!!

It's a great place for my first creative video, very glamourous and stylish (coming in the spring). I'm going to perform my own original songs acoustically in small places in Gracia and play with streaming services, so you can watch the gigs live in the comfort of your own armchair. 

Well it's back to work this month (Feb!) Jan was very slow here in Barcelona. The covers band could be good fun but more than this, it's an incentive to practice on set songs. I've been to 2 rehearsal Jams at BAMM. The 1st was a general Jam & the 2nd was a Beatles Hommage. On Feb 15th we have the Pink Floyd night.

I've put my own list of covers together (see below) and I'm planning to name a date in about 2-3 weeks for the session. Let me know which songs you would most like to hear. Finally we have to select 15 from them.

Let me know if you would like to be involved in any way: zackqureshi@gmail.com 

PLJ 

Zack a.k.a. RedEyeZack

Source

Week 115: Seeking Small Venues to Perform In

Hi Music Lovers! On Tuesday Jan 8th, I went to check out a bar in Gracia called 'Alfa‎ Bar'.

C/ Gran De Gràcia, 36. 08012 Barcelona. Tel: 934 15 18 24

The Band Out of Water formed by guitarist Gustavo Aguado (from the BAMM meetup group last week) had a gig and I decided to go and support him while checking out the venue. It was a curious mix of influences with a strong vocal performance coming from their female Jazz style vocalist (reminded me a bit of Alanis Morisett). Los pianistas Ariana Carreras y Toni del Amo y la cantante Itziar Sánchez.

The band members had their own influences with Piano and keyboard players. The venue was a good size to play for 50-80 people. The stage is lifted, so there is a distance between the audience and the performers onstage. I loved the lighting and decor, looks like a really cool place to take pics!

 As you can see, the entrance there is a bar for those who want to chat and the stage is further into the bar. There was a medium to large size mixing desk and engineer on hand.

 It was quite a dazzling looking set, maybe an idea to take live video promotion in future for one of my tracks.Love the old records on the ceiling!

Its been a busy week and I've been to 4 venues. I'm checking out the local music scene and looking for places to play. I'm in the process of also meeting the local music talent and getting to know some great bands.

Gracia seems to be the place that has a lot of small places I could play an intimate set. Informal and laid back. On Friday I decided to get fit again but avoid the gym, so I went dancing! Salsa. In fact there was a Cuban live band "Habana con Kola" Meetup event. It was nice to be able to have a social evening, let off steam and get into the latin rhythm, great fitness solution:))

On Saturday evening I ventured into a bar called L'Astrolabi in Gracia (Carrer Martinez de la Rosa 14, Bcn, Spain). It was a curious place, with a small room at the back for Unplugged performances.

Lidia Uve played unplugged in Gracia. When I say unplugged, I mean really unplugged, no speakers, no microphone, a tiny room with people sitting on the floor at the feet of the artists in the corner of the room. Standing room near the entrance from the bar and seating against the wall. I hadn't seen this since the last home party with my flatmate Moez in Brighton.

Have a great week!

PLJ

Zack a.k.a. RedEyeZack 

TOP 5 PREVIEWS:

Choose your Top 5 from my list of song demos: Previews on Artist website

Week 112: Watch RedEyeZack's new live video of 'I CAN'T SLEEP TONIGHT'

Cafe del Sol in Gracia, Bcn

Hi Guys!

It's a blistering sunny day 20 degrees C here in Barcelona. I'd like to wish you all a happy Xmas and a wonderful new year!! I'm flying to the UK tomorrow for 2 weeks to catch up with family & friends.

I will be back in Barcelona building my artistic base and moving into a local community full of artists. Thanks for following my music mission project. I will have exciting news for next year as I'm looking to put a band together to play at festivals in the summer.

Here's a video my friend Ajit Dutta took last summer in the backstreets of Brighton. An intimate version of 'I CAN'T SLEEP TONIGHT'.

Enjoy & I look forward to getting on the road and playing for you in 2013.

PLJ (Peace, love & Joy)

Zack aka 'RedEyeZack'