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 136: Plan B

Hi Guys!

And now for my next gig... Yes, It's free! 

It's a tiny place in Gracia. It can probably fit a maximum of 38 people. There is no P.A. system, mic 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. I hope that some members of the BAMM covers jam can also take part and help with the singing. 

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!!  See Facebook Event

I actually accidentally erased my complete YouTube account of 24 videos for RedEyeZack!!!! Shit can happen with technology, so always have a plan B (and a plan C if you live in Spain;) I've switched over to Vimeo until I find a solution: https://vimeo.com/user18740133

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 134: Our friends electric

Hi Guys!

I must say that summer is on the doorstep and what better way of enjoying than getting out the electric guitar and start playing with the effects pedals. This week I go electric and will start playing solos for the first time. It also means getting new gear and taking advice from Ramon at Tanne Instrumentos.

It's great to be able to sit back and focus on the instrument and textures that can be created with the electric. I'm really looking forward to experiment with fusion songs with an Indian ambience. I'll have a go with Another brick in a wall (Pink Floyd) and light my fire (The Doors). I'm sure these two songs are gonna get me back into my playing. 

Here's an experimental fusion sound from a guitar riff I played at my last gig in Istanbul with Bollywood dancer Ayşegül Ucar. 

I'm looking for a Bellydancer to help me develop rhythm for this track. 

Well it's time to get organised and disciplined for some regular practice. I attended a vocal workout session hosted by Tamar Sinclair. It was an eye-opener and got me loosened up to use the voice. Always learning! 

PLJ

Zack aka RedEyeZack

Week 133: Music for Good!

Hi Music Lovers!

I've made a song - 'hold me' available where 50% of sales go to the charity Heifer International.

I'm a little bit hesitant to bring the charity element into the music . I've been to gigs that were supposedly to raise money for charities. Do these bands earn from these gigs? Do they do it for free, for the exposure? or do they genuinely look to support the cause?

I'd decided to stay away from the issue until I could figure out the numbers. If I couldn't, it probably means that there was no transparency, and more likely a way of just making money. The second question is that if the bands are playing for free, what about the organisers?

I'm quite skeptical but I guess they need to recoup some money for costs of putting on the concert. Who knows how it works? Is there a transparent model that is acceptable to all parties? If you do know, please conact me or send me a link to redeyezack@gmail.com

My solution to this problem is to find a personal charity that I'm involved with, possibly a charity in my mother's home village outside of Bangalore, India. I look forward to visiting India in winter and look for a worthy cause. I will publish the info in a campaign and invite people to come to India to see how the funds are spent. 

Let 's see... in the meantime, I've decided on a charity called Heifer International. 'Ending world hunger and poverty is a large feat,' but they say, 'it's not unrealistic. It will take each of us doing our part.'  It's an issue which I still don't fully understand since Live Aid in 1985, maybe I've been living in a void since then, but I wake up to wonder why hunger is still with us. I'm still investigating. Here is their page if you'd like to Get Involved.

PLJ

Zack aka RedEyeZack

Week 132: To gig a lot or not to gig a lot? - That is the question!

Hi Music Lovers,

Despite the 1st gig being sold out and a great success, I forgot to collect email addresses. It also makes me think of the work and preparation that proceeds a gig. If I really had to think about it, I'd want to gig only once a month!

Why? Because it does take up a permanent part of your brain. We have other obligations and work, like paying the rent or the dayjob deadline that puts us under pressure. At the same time. I ask myself, did I practice enough?, was I prepared?, Am I going to get everything done before the gig?, will I have to drop things? I'd much rather be chilling out near the seaside and writing songs:)

This kind of thing leaves us mentally exhausted and really wanting to focus on the music and performance only. But in these early DIY days, no such luck! That's why I'm going to limit the number of gigs over the summer, so I can work and save up... to have a few months free to focus on a strategy for making the most of the performances, less as gigs and more as special events. 

This includes having professional photos taken and High Quality video, streaming live, flyer design, recording live, good lighting, something more theatrical... etc

Follow developments this summer... maybe festivals or traveling. Keep in touch & let me know if you plan to come to Barcelona.

PLJ
Zack aka RedEyeZack

Week 131:Building A Mailing List. NEW VIDEO. Free Download. House-Parties.

Hi Guys

I'd like to thank you for showing interest and despite the rain, coming to my 1st official gig at Pipiolo bar! It was wonderful to have a full house in such an intimate atmosphere. I hope that those that couldn't make it will get to the next gig.

I have a local mailing list which I'm building to inform music lovers of gigs, local venues, local bands I'm collaborating with. Please sign up on www.redeyezack.com. Or JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Our monthly Newsletter also has the latest news of Gigs, videos, new songs, competitions, free downloads.

I'd very much like your support & look forward to performing new songs for you.

I'm looking to do Non-Traditional gigs & Houseparties. Drop me a line if you know any unconventional venues or you'd like to help me organise a gig for your friends. Email me at: redeyezack@gmail.com

My first free gig was at Teteria Salterio. At the end of the gig I collected a dozen email addresses. It's important to build a local following as the internet attempts to make us all global right from day one. I still need time to develop the craft of songwriting and performing live in front of a local audience. That's why I've chosen to play at small locations, house parties. 

By playing these, I'll be able to get real feedback on the songs and interact with the audience. Afterwards it may be possible to organise a gig in bigger venues, but they usually want you to rent the venue & bring people. 

As an artist starting out, this is too much to expect. I'd rather play a free gig in a place where the venue have their regular clients and bring people so I can expose my music to them, rather than paying to rent a venue and wondering if I'm not going to be able to bring enough people (thereby losing money).

One way to build a fanbase is to offer a free exclusive download in return for an email address. I've just added this to my homepage (see link above). 

This summer I'll be keeping you in touch with my travels, as I look for festivals and start recording my 1st EP.

Let me know if you have plans to visit Barcelona! :)

PLJ

Zack aka RedEyeZack

Week 130: Getting Paid Gigs

Hi Music Lovers!

After last weeks free gig at Teteria Salterio (Teahouse) I realised I could perform without a mic and amp in front of a small friendly crowd for 1 hour and 20 minutes. It wasn't just about steaming through the songs like a train. I got into a comfort zone and a rapport with the audience and even read some poetry.

My second official gig is at Pipiolo this weekend. It's a place known for six nights of singer-songwriters every week.  It's the biggest of the small places I've elected to play and the 1st paid gig. Just 3 Euros at the door!

I've also set up at Ticketea.com, an online system where people can purchase tickets in advance for all kinds of events and venues can scan printed tickets or electronic tickets on mobile devices to validate the tickets. It was fun figuring out how the system worked & will come in handy in future.

I've started rehearsing with a few different people and hope they will join me onstage  for a few songs each.

The other group sharing the billing are POOL, playing as an acoustic duo of Gilles Estoppey on piano and Claudia Steccato on vocals.

I'm planning a few theatrical elements and would like to add some surprises to each show. I've been looking into guerilla marketing and used recycled train tickets to write my address on last week and hand out to the audience. I also collected email addresses at the show.

I'm working on new songs too, just to give some surprises and something never heard before, even on my website.

PLJ
Zack aka RedEyeZack

Week 129: Creating A Setlist

Hi Guys!

Well I'm pleased to say I managed to play for 1 hour and 20 minutes with about 11 Songs  at my first gig last Thursday at Teteria Salterio.

I started rehearsing last Monday and put a setlist together. Its important to change the key and pace of the songs. I kept the singalong songs till the 2nd part of the performance so I and the audience were both warmed up. I started with 2 completely unknown songs never heard before. 

Feel free to listen to these Red tracks by following the link:

• What Do You Feel
• Who Knows What You're Going To Be
• Summertime & Smile
• Hold Me & Flying Free
• The Purpose of Existence & RadhaKrishna
• Two Sparrows
• I Can't SleepTonight
• 21st Century Man & Satisfy My Soul

Then I introduced a poem called Sweet love and asked for a volunteer - Giulia to read some selected parts with me. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to use the microphone and amplified that I had brought along. So it was a completely unplugged performance. Luckily most of the people sitting close were friends and they were very silent during the performance of the quieter songs like Sofia's Song. 

I gave a short introduction to each song, about where, how or why it was written. I decided not to keep regular time for a lot of the songs and improvise some intros and outros, with some breaks in the middle for teaching the audience some of the melodies. I finished on two very melodic and catchy songs.

Overall the gig went well. It was a calm and chillout atmosphere and I think the music reflected that.

Next gig is Saturday May 4th at Pipiolo. I look forward to seeing some of you there!!

Zack aka RedEyeZack

Week 128: The First Concert

Hi Music Lovers!

Gig at Tea shop. Milestone - 5000 views on this Blog. Wanted - Acoustic Guitarist & Cajon player

. 

It's been a sunny start to April and I'm rehearsing for my 1st gig on Thursday April  18th at TETERIA SALTERIO. I've dug up some old acoustic songs that have never been heard before. They have a folk element and story-line with characters, I thought it would be a good idea to present them at my 1st acoustic solo gig as RedEyeZack. See more info on this reverbnation profile page.

I'm excited about playing to such an intimate group of friends in a very sweet location. I'm a bit of a tea man myself, so what better place than a tea shop to make your first gig as a solo artist.

I've started checking out other places I could play and in the meantime I'm looking for other musicians to jam with and accompany me with these original songs. Another acoustic guitar or Cajon. Please send me an email at redeyezack@gmail.com if you are interested.

The other thing I've just noticed is 5000 views on this blog. That's since I started in October 2012. I've managed to post regularly every week since then. 

Enjoy the sunny weather in Barcelona. If not, get yourself over here!!

Zack aka RedEyeZack

Week 127: Starting to Gig - Pipiolo Bar

Hi Music Lovers!

I've got my first paid gig at PIPIOLO on May 4th! I will be sharing the stage with POOL. It's a small, cozy place for an intimate evening of acoustic live music. Here's more info and a slideshow of our evening at the bottom.

https://www.facebook.com/pipiolo.bar

Last night after our Pink Floyd Jam session, a small group of us headed off to meet up with other friends in a music bar called 'Pipiolo'. Jose had brought along a producer/ singer-songwriter to introduce me to & I was there to meet the music organizer, Gemma to see if it may be a good place to start my small performances.

The tiny door at Pipiolo - C/ Balmes 113 had a guitar fretboard as the door handle and we stepped down into the cozy bar. The friendly staff took out guitars into the backroom which was full of more guitars! There were 3 musicians playing covers booked and 1 by 1 they came to perform a set of cover songs. Before the evening had finished we discussed the possibilities of organizing a gig for RedEyeZack for May. 

Pipiolo have music every night of the week from Tuesday to Saturday. From 10pm to midnight it's singer-songwriters with their own material and from midnight onwards it's covers groups. It's a small cozy place, 

people chat during cover performances so it looks like a good place to practice. I will visit a few more times in the week to get a feel for the place and how different the crowd are for the singer-songwriters.

Have a great week & catch up soon!

Zack aka RedEyeZack