Member Since: 4/12/2007
Band Website: studio7.ie
Band Members: Gerry Casey (lyrics, songwriting, vocals, guitars, keyboards), Black Stratman (guitars, keyboards and song writing) Johnny McGlynn (Guitars, Vocals and Songwriting) plus a whole host of Studio7 Ireland regulars.
Bands that I have been a member of as lead vocalist in the past:
Phaiton, Strange But True, The Stringwreckers, Abbey Music Artists (I sang lead vocals on D. O'Connor's "Oh!, No, Somalia" famine relief single), Crossroads, The Forgotten featuring Johnny McGlynn, Seamus Simon, Justin Whelan and Mr B.Eno, Studio7 Ireland and the newly formed "Virtual Band" we call "The League of Extraordanairy Gentlemen" (concept album coming out later in the year with a bit of luck!).
I've jammed with some great bluesmen over the years, notably Carvin Jones, Damien McCabe and Big Daddy and Red Hot Java when they've toured Ireland, all keeping the spirit of the blues alive for all us music lovers out there.
Influences: Norway's Eliksir www.myspace.com/eliksir is an incredible new artist I was lucky enough to come across since I signed up to MySpace - her debut album "Earthly Things" is simply the best CD I have heard in many, many years. Her vocal prowess, use of imagery and stunningly beautiful arrangements throughout puts her right up there among the top female artists of today. On hearing Eliksir's voice and music for the first time, I simply felt like giving up trying to create original music, I felt so inadequate compared to what REAL creativity can sound like, but now, however, I've changed my mind - If I can, I want to try at least and "maybe" get a bit better!! Check out Eliksir's offical site at www.eliksir.org
Donal O'Connor, Singer Songwriter from Boyle, Co. Roscommon, Ireland (www.myspace.com/donaloconnor). Donal has a rare gift for observing the everyday about us and translating it into verse through his wonderful songs. He gave me my first "break" in this business by actually letting me sing lead vocals on his debut single, "Oh!" No, Somalia". Prince, Sting, Roger Waters, David Coverdale, Paul Rogers, John McLaughlin (famous Jazz fusion guitarist once hailed as the new Hendrix), Joni Mitchell (what can I say that hasn't been said a million times before, for me personally, a life changing artist the first time I heard "Song for Sharon"),George Michael (a superb singer/songwriter), Ritchie Blackmore (the guvnor), Mica Paris, Cara Dillon, Sheryl Crow (an exceptional talent, favourite track being the incredibly observed and deeply intuitive and melancholically wistful "Weather Channel" - "At least the hinges have stopped their creaking" - truly inspired), Elizabeth Fraser, Trevor Horn, Elton John, Billy Joel, Bonnie Raitt, David Bowie (I really liked his heavy, "Tin Machine" period), Deep Forest, BB King, Eric Clapton (beautiful live version of "Old love" from the Mtv unplugged album), Robert Cray (fantasised), John lord (a wonderful musician with a wry sense of humor...), Ian Gillan, Ian Paice (best drummer out there, always was, always will be), Roger Glover, Glenn Hughes (Holy Man, thanks for that one alone Glenn), Stevie Wonder, The amazingly talented Dave Kilminster (Not forgetting Dave Gilmore!), Kate Bush, K.D. Lang (one of the great talents of our time), Eddi Reader (an amazing live performer and another one of Scotlands major talents) Alison Moyet, Coctea Twins (Ms Fraser is Simply the most Amazing, Amazing Vocalist I have ever heard), Irelands finest, Sinead O Connor, Don Baker (world renowned blues harmonica player, the best in the business according to Bono), The Marbles, Bonnie Raitt, All about Eve, Iarlaid O'Lianaird (almost brings tears to my eyes with his superb voice), Bono (literally bumped into him once in Blackrock, Dublin in 1998) Joe Satriani, Clannad, U2, El Presidente from Glasgow, Robert Plant and Led Zep (fav track, "Ramble On"), Daniel Lanois (the superb "Still Water"), Brian Eno, Scritti Polliti, Paul McCartney (forget the Beatles, "Coming Up" does it for me everytime) and the simply wonderful Gerry Rafferty, another one of Scotland's finest singer/songwriters; like the man said, "If you get it wrong, you'll get it right next time, next time". Wise words indeed. Johnny McGylnn, a dear friend and musical collaborator - Dante Gizzi of El Presidente once said of him, "One of the finest guitarists Ireland's got to offer - I go a step further and say that "THE WORLD" has to offer, a superb musician and a gifted artist.
As for movies? The superb Richard Gere in "Mr Jones", "Good Will Hunting" (a movie about a genius, starring one - the great Robbin Williams), "The Abyss", "The Acid House", "Shine" and top of my list is "Falling Down" starring the wonderful Michael Douglas - "I'm the bad guy? How did that happen?" An amazing film for all of us, proabably, at one time or another, "no longer economically viable" types out there, a modern classic.
And the last word will always go to the sadly missed but forever remembered, the late Bill Hicks. Bill was one of those rare types that have what I describe as, a certain, indefinable "Shine" about them, call it inner beauty or what you will, it can't really be described verbally I guess. I've witnessed it very rarely in individuals, though they all seem to have the same amazing diversity of talent, artistic ability, progressive thinking, incredible creative intelligence and an almost palpable longing for "a better world" type of energy and self awareness about them which marks them out from the herd. The world finds it hard to understand and accept such people - most simply can not understand why they are not constantly striving to get ahead, make money, get, get, get like most, regular types, probably a little like you and I and everyone else that we know. That was the part of Bill's genius that I most admired. He was able to translate his progressive thinking and awareness of the (absurdity mostly) of life and the world around him and bring it to the masses in the form of entertainment, a sort of "master session" if you like but with plenty of bad language thrown in! It must be something to do with being on that journey towards the ultimate reality or Truth as some might say. Bill certainly was on that Journey while he was here with us, thats all he talked about on stage, in one guise or another, his jokes or stories were his own sort of modern parables I suppose you could say. He often said that "Life was just a ride" at the end of his shows. How true. I hope, Bill, that there is no final destination out there for you, I like to imagine you ridin' around on that great big dipper in the sky, with Jimi in the seat next to you giggling away together up above the clouds. You both certainly played from your hearts' guys, two of my greatest heros and influences, two special agents of evolution......
Books? Anything that's real - Biographies, Philosophy, anything by Barry Long, Jiddu Krishnamurti and Ekchart Tolle.
Sounds Like: Cocteau Twins (or so I wish!!), Deep Purple, The Blues of course, Whitesnake, everything basically, I love all music. The vast majority of our brand of music is what some one once called "home made music, very little sampling, just guitars, voice and keyboards, no messin' about and usually recorded very quickly, many of my "lyrics" are streams of consciousness, nothing written down, I just start to sing into the mic and what you hear on some of these songs are the results....I'm sure it shows!!!! Real music, with Real live Performers recording their own thing and not relying on sound pools etc for input. Creation, Inspiration, Perspiration as the saying goes!
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Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: None