Tuesday 30 July 2013

Spooky Men's Chorale in town

The Spooky Men's Chorale, very much the inspiration for starting The Magnificent AK47 and fundamentally a fabulous bunch of Top Blokes who just happen to be brilliantly funny and brilliant singers at the same time, whistled by on their monster tour of the UK gracing us with their special magic recently.

They headlined a gig in our local town of Cirencester at the lovely Sundial Theatre and permitted our blokes the honour of being their warm up act and hosts.  A great time was had by the sell out gig and at the after show knees up back in The White Hart in Ashton Keynes.  A few postings can be found on the Spooky Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-spooky-mens-chorale/spooky-days-5-6-every-man-for-himself-/688400541176667 where you can read about their stay in the village in their very own words.

In case you didn't catch them then you must make every effort to see them at some point during this year's tour and also get their superb new album, The Spooky Man in History.  Your loyal correspondent was privileged enough to see them the other day at the Village Pump festival and they were quite breathtakingly brilliant.  Much more information can be found at http://www.spookymen.com/ 

Whilst the Spooky's are very much an inspiration, we would like to think that The Magnificent AK47 are developing their own style and ploughing their own metaphorical furrow.  More evidence will be emerging very soon with more information about our very own piece of audio artefacts and gig at the Sundial Theatre, soon(ish).

Thursday 18 July 2013

A Taste of The Magnificent AK47

The Magnificent AK47 is proud to announce its first CD, "A Taste of The Magnificent AK47". Recorded at the wonderful Mooncalf Studios in rural Wiltshire, this short taster gives a flavour of why this iconic group of men has rapidly become one of Ashton Keynes' finest all male a Capella singing combos.

The mysterious cover, taken from prehistoric local cave paintings shows the mythological 'riding of the white horse' - a ritual where ancient man, often in small groups, would ride the now extinct giant white horses that are still remembered on the Wiltshire hills.

Minimal in cover design but maximal in manly machismo, "A Taste of The Magnificent AK47" will undoubtedly keep our legions of fans hungry for more. It can be found at our next gig at The Sundial Theatre in Cirencester on Sunday 21st July and can also be ordered online at MakingMusicMix.

Saturday 13 July 2013

Men at work




















Sunday 30th July was a very long and busy day for the Blokes with our first proper recording session in a proper recording studio at Mooncalf Studios.  

It kind of took everyone by surprise just what hard work it was to get 20+ blokes to avoid making different mistakes at different times so we could at least manage to cobble together a whole song from the various fragments that were any good!

Having said that we nailed one or two pieces in one take but with some others the intentionally tricky harmonies took a little longer to get right.  Still, overall, some very pleasing results and a great learning experience.

The final versions will be making themselves onto a CD entitled "A Taste of The Magnificent AK47" very soon ready to be unleashed on an unsuspecting public at our gig with The Spooky Men's Chorale in just over a week's time.  Which reminds us, we better get on and do some tuning up before the "Spooky Summer of Love" starts rolling through the countryside.

More soon.