Shameless plug!

johnashfield · Post by **johnashfield** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 4:18 pm

I have a gig coming up!

Sunday, November 13, Cafe Du Nord, at 8pm. I'll be playing my rick bass which Paul W. made a lovely pickguard for!

My band is called the John Ashfield Band. There are songs up at...
www.myspace.com/johnashfieldband
and...
www.cdbaby.com/cd/johnashfield2

We're opening up for Translator of "Everywhere that I'm Not" fame.

So if you are in San Francisco, come on out for some rock!

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 4:54 pm

I used to live in SF ... I left about '87 or '88 ... it's a great restaurant city ... a good town to see live music ... If I was still there I'd come to see you play ... and I still have the bass you sold me ... it is a looker and a player ... it gets played out once in a while ...

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 5:00 pm

I'm gonna have to decline again, John - strictly geographical reasons, you understand! I sure as hell hope you'll have a gig going when I'm over there next August!!

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 5:05 pm

As long as we are shamelessly plugging, (and I have no shame to worry about..) any Detroit-area Ric-o-philes are welcome to check out my band, Model Citizen in November at Augies in Madison Heights on Nov. 11, and DB Coopers in Madison Heights on Nov. 18 & 19.
http://www.modelcitizendetroit.com
or
http://www.myspace.com/modelcitizendetroit

Ken Joseph can vouch for us, he graciously came and checked us out before

Unfortunately, unless I get the Blueburst in the next 2 weeks, it will be a Thunderbird / Hamer 12 string bass show.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 5:24 pm

This time you WILL see me and my wife, as I've played your album for her and she's hooked, and promises MUST be kept...you know the scene.

So, watch out for "The Bald and the Beautiful" coming your way.

Great venue, BTW, John!

johnashfield · Post by **johnashfield** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 5:33 pm

Paul, that'll be great!

Looking forward to seeing you there! Everytime I pull out my bass I grin, so it'll be cool to play it for you.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:46 pm

John, certainly didn't mean to jump in on your plug, I'm too far away to come and see you, although it sounds like I would like it a lot!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:51 pm

Did somebody say " Hamer 12 string"?...

I've been playing mine for a few weeks now, and I must say...it is a workout...but great and unusual sound!

Steve, what do you use yours on?

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:17 pm

Of course, all the Cheap Trick songs we play "Surrender", "The Flame" and "Downed", the Pink Floyd songs "Comfortably Numb" "Wish You Were Here" and a few others that need a little extra thickness. We have a 3pc. band with keys and no rhythm guitar, and with the Hamer, we don't need one!

Glad you are digging it....I used to play mine for the whole set, 3 hours a night, Friday and Saturday, 3 weekends a month. Now it's maybe 10 songs a night.

johnashfield · Post by **johnashfield** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 8:51 pm

It's cool Steve! If we were closer I'd definitely see your show! Hamer 12 string! Wow. Never played one, but always dug the sound.

Paul, you have a 12 string bass?

Jeff R - I was really glad you bought that bass, I knew you'd really use it. It was always a great bass for me, always sounded good. Felt so goood too after the finish was stripped. But I never really used that 5th string. Glad you are digging it!

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 11:42 am

I'd strongly recommend John Ashfield's band. I saw them in L.A. this summer (John played a 3 string rick), and his CD is indeed very good!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 11:49 am

A Rick-O-Zouki, huh?

Or is it a Rick-A-Laika?

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 12:58 pm

Steve, I will try and make one of those nights. I'd like to make the SF gig because I love that city. Maybe next year.

johnashfield · Post by **johnashfield** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 12:55 pm

Thanks Jerry!

Paul, the A string broke during the 2nd song! So I guess my bass became a Rick-o-zouki!

I just put on Pyramids so I hope they last longer!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 5:09 am

LIVE MUSIC REPORT

I represented the Rick Forum at John's live show on Sunday night at Cafe du Nord.

His band, called "The John Ashfield Band" (complicated, huh?) played a fifty-minute set that was pure energy. Almost all the material was from John's latest album, with one or two brand new tunes tossed in and a cover of Badfinger's "Come and Get It" that had some of us singing along.

John's bass, with its new Pyramid strings, did a typically Rickenbacker job of cutting through the mix and providing excellent bottom end, played through the club's SVT rig. John is a tremendously energetic player and every note rang home true and on time. His lead guitarist, Brian, was a real pro, spicing up the songs with solos that were never over the top or stagey. Gina held up rhythm chores in her bouncy style on a Deluxe Tele, and Drummer, John 2, was steady as a rock.

The keyboardist, whose name I didn't get, (sorry, guys), provided just the right edge with some clavier, some B3, and some cheezwiz, too.

What's cool about guys who've been around awhile doing the club scene, is the realism and cooperation. No showboating here.

This was power pop redux at its best. He's promised to keep me informed of future dates so we can become JAB groupies.

But I forgot my camera, so perhaps John could post one shot himself...

John's band opened for '80s OHWs "Translator" (is that an '80s name or whut?). They were a good indicator of what '80s NY hipsters look like, 22 years after the fact. Tight and slight.