Notice that the Eugene Chadbourne My Space
site has been taken down? Hopefully that is what will happen, as of Jan. 25 I
was in the official queue to have everything removed and the site dismantled. My
tenure on this once useful site began with several years of arguing between my
three daughters over whether I needed such a site or not.
Finally Jenny put the site together and I quickly realized my colleague Kevin
Blechdom had given me good advice when she said someone who likes directly
organizing my activities would find lots of new contacts. At the peak of my
usage I was able to arrange an extensive--more than two dozen concerts and
workshops--almost all with My Space contacts.
Shortly after this there were what I interpret as two catastrophes for the site.
One, the design was redone and almost every practical feature that a user would
regularly need to work with became frustratingly impossible to work with. At
first I was impressed at how hands-on some of the staff were about my
complaints, such as the initial requirement that an ending time for a gig be
entered. Who the fuck knows when gigs are going to end? Who cares?
Simply entering a new gig became a chore with no guarantee anything would be
entered properly. Meanwhile other friends still using the site were reporting
all kinds of stupid cock ups. Meanwhile an anti-My Space campaign began on the
behalf of various competitors rising in status on the internet. Soon there would
be more jokes circulating on TV comedies, for example, on the subject of the
pathetic lot of My Space CEOs than there are about singer/songwriter failures in
Nashville! The My Space CEO even replaced the archetype Nashville CW wanna be in
the "Hey Waiter!" joke.
This was, for a time, a useful tool for musicians. But if it is as unpopular as
everyone says and doesn't work worth a shit, who cares? My last straw was a
typical schedule shift in the upcoming tour, requiring canceling one show and
moving the date up on another. I had gone to the trouble of entering the shows a
few days before with some other 2012 confirmation and was relieved the process
was not too arduous--although the first attempt made one of my computers crash.
I tried on four computers including the cherished, holy Apple and the My Space
site would not let me change dates or cancel dates on my page. Meanwhile I was
already getting email from people excited about one of the shows I had to
cancel. Which proves it isn't true that nobody looks at the My Space site,
because I had not been able to post the dates yet on my own site!
This had been an advantage of My Space, I could keep the gig info totally
current! It tended to be ahead of my own page unless Ben has a chance to update
everytime I do. This will be the new set up because I will be trying to update
my own site now with as much regularity as My Space now that it is No Space.
HOT new
releases...
CONCERTO SERIES
Winding down for now with my series of song collections, I have begun a
new Concerto series of extended works for my arsenal of instruments and
newly tweaked studio set up. These are extended instrumental works
covering a wide range of material! I think they sound really fine.
The first two volumes are now available--the first releases for 2012.
Concerto releases come with handmade booklets in my own handmade
packaging.
2012A
- CONCERTO OF THE SMOKE DETECTOR
(Christmas 2011)
The homemade Smoke Detector is featured in a wide range of instrumental
settings involving organ, piano, a vintage Martin acoustic, the Bo
Diddley Gretsch electric and Doc Chad's large scale percussion ensemble.
This piece has already provoked some of the most extreme reactions of my
career--it has actually been banished from certain premises. While
dedicated to Steve Lacy who liked to "walk around upstairs" in the high
register, Concerto of the Smoke Detector may simply be too extreme even
for Lacy. As part of the concerto program, the Chadbourne Family
Ensemble headed by my father Dr. Richard Chadbourne and featuring myself
on lap steel and older brother
Biff Badamino on Fraggle Rock drums, presents a program of French and
Irish songs. My grandmother Elisabeth Golm comments on the Christmas in
Germany before the First World War and my mother Gisela Chadbourne tries
to teach French and German to teenagers in Calgary, Alberta.
2012B
- CONCERTO OF THE JAGUAR (Ultimate
Destruction of the Temple 2012)
Since the Smoke Detector is such an unpleasant instrument--even by my
standards--it was turned into a religious temple and then destroyed in a
live assault with a dremel, handsaws, files, etc. This inspired a
Concerto featuring the ceramic jaguar head souvenirs that are apparently
popular around various Mayan temples in Mexico. The Doc Chad percussion
ensemble is joined by bajo sexto, Gibson Marauder and sarangi as well as
the deluxe Deering acoustic 12 string banjo and my new Belgian Republic
resonator guitar. (The company from Ghent is called Republic, I am not
referring to Belguim as a republic.)
Fresh burns from the
master duplicator! With all the speed dictated by the new decade, Eugene
shows his nimble response to concept of near-real-time music - from the
studio floor to your ears, in record time.
RECORDED EARLY SEPTEMBER 2011
AT THE SEA OF SHIT IN THE LAP OF LUXURY STUDIOS
THE SOOKE, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Engineered and co-produced by Scott Henderson—who also plays
trombone, trumpet, Bb clarinet, alto clarinet, bass clarinet,
electronics, dumbek and drum set.
NEW ARCHIVE MATERIAL!
- SUMMER OF ‘CHADFEST ON DISC’
I am really happy to present four
different CD releases representing different eras of my career.
In chronological order:
1977—AMBER
A live recording of a concert at the Dandelion Gallery, Calgary,
Alberta, Canada, February of 1997. A duet with bassist Billy McCarroll,
the program includes what were new compositions at the time: Marcella
Bienvenue, Amber, You’ve Got to Draw the Line Somewhere and What is
Pointed in One Direction and Headed in the Other? “The Floyd Dan Radio
Show” is a solo on the prepared Harmony 12-string used on my first
Parachute recordings. There are also versions of Ruby My Dear by
Thelonious Monk and 245 by Eric Dolphy. The location recording was
carried out by the same engineer involved in these recording sessions,
Wade McGregor. It has been quite nicely digitally remastered.
1983—SHOCKABILLY AT 10 FOOT HENRY
This is also recorded in Calgary, Alberta at what was a fantastic club.
I had moved away and established Shockabilly out of New York City and
Greensboro collectively, this was a rare opportunity to come back to one
of my musical hometowns and present my up to date band. The sound board
recording was tweaked marvelously by Dennis Burton—there was also a fine
monitor mix on the stage itself so even more small detail was possible
than usual for a Shockabilly club, the presence of aspects such as the
cassette tape effects is really strong. I have heard a lot of live
Shockabilly over the years and wonder if anyone agrees with me that this
is some of the best stuff.
1991 EUGENE VAN BEETHOVEN aka
CAMPER VAN CHADBOURNE:
THIS TIME WE WON’T COME BACK (GULF WAR TOUR)
My favorite of the line-ups under this name, the sextet Eugene Van
Beethoven did a three week non-stop series of dates in Europe during the
Gulf War. The Hamburg Markethalle show was early in the series so in the
intial round of tinkering with live tapes I didn’t pay that much
attention it. The soundboard recording surfaced eventually and shows
that soundman Eppo Kroll had a good feel with this large room and its
possibilities for big thick sound. The program mixes originals, cover
versions, has a strong anti war focus as well as jazz covers—Ask me Now
by Thelonious Monk, a Pharoah Sanders medley—and also includes two
sections of the Post Day of the Dead suite.
2008-2009 INSECT AND WESTERN UPDATER
Some—including me perhaps—hoped the Insect and Western box set would be
the final word on this musical subject that has even driven some sidemen
to have nightmares. Perhaps in attempt to further said goal, I initially
languished in necessary attempts to process recordings of important new
insect musical portraits accomplished with the help of great talent—both
Tasmanian and Texan—during 2008 and 2009.
Insect and Western Updater is a
double CD set including several
booklets, packaged inside a coffeebag. If you already own an Insect and
Western box, you can put it right inside. It includes nearly 160 minutes
of music and covers the Click Beetle, Flat Shield Bug, Spider Face Leaf
Rolling Cricket, Raspy Cricket, Head Lice, Ear Wig, Spider, Millipede,
Walking Stick, Inchman, Assassin Fly and Red Bottom Bee.
Participants include
Greg Kingston, guitar/
Nick Hennies, percussion, vibraphone
Kory Cook drums
Lisa Cameron drums
Graham Reynolds piano, drums
The Doc in Tasmania
THE HOUSE CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
Fidel Casio prepared piano
Bruce Jack cardboard cello
Rodrigo percussive mannerisms
Fiddlin’ Jack bowed baclamel
Fiddlin’ Juanito bowed charango
Fiddlin’ U-jean bowed prepared guitar
Bows are the custom creations of Tatsuya Nakatani.
EUGENE CHADBOURNE
Guitars
Banjos
Personal effects
Production and editing
I have come up with
two new House of Chadula releases, both primarily recorded in the
Psychad home studios...
"ECs'" - is named
after a small town in Hungary where I spent some time a few summers ago.
It is the latest collection of my original songs, old and new, featuring
No One, Cormerant, Sunny One, Said than Done, Big Boys with Little
Balls, Wall One, Happy New Year, Mountain Men, Birthday Song, 30 One,
Ice One. I play about 25 instruments on this!
"BIGGER COUNTRY BOOBS"
- as mentioned in the tour
announcement, is the latest duo recording with myself and Tatsuya
Nakatani on percussion. Our subject is country and western music with
space for improvising in the places where whoever quarterbacks sees a
hole. Songs by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Henson Cargill
and others.
2012 Full Catalog UPDATE For
complete details on ordering these and all
Doc Chad current releases:
...also, a piece brought to my ears (to their great enjoyment!) courtesy of the
good graces of David Sait:
Available from
Guzheng.ca - a
wonderful disc of "Postage Paid Duets"
with EC & DAVID SAIT
Amazing set of improvisations by mail with the Good Doctor on Banjo (recorded
atop a mountain, outside of Bayonne in Basque Territory) and
David Sait on the
beautifully toned Guzheng (21 stringed Chinese zither).
All enhanced by some
subtle plunderphonic application by the good John Oswald.
SHOWS!!!!!!
2012
MORE DATES COMING SOON!!!!!!!!!!!
Here are the
latest confirmed dates for me starting at the end of
February with about a month long European tour.
I will be doing some dates on east coast USA in
July, get in touch if you are interested in
attending, promoting or both. It looks like I
will be back in Europe in the winter of 2012 as well
with a pending project in the south of France.
MARCH 2 Solo
Centro Stabile Di Cultura
Via Leogra
Strada Statale 46 (KM 21)
San Vito di Leguzzano (VICENZA)
Italy
MARCH 3 Solo La Lomax
Via Fornai 44
Catania
Italy (Sicily)
MARCH 6 with Gloggerne and Martin Klapper
Dexter
Vindegade 65
Odense
Denmark
MARCH 8 with Gloggerne and Martin Klapper
Studenterhuset,
Gl.Torv 10
Aalborg
Denmark
MARCH 9 - COPENHAGEN!
Christianshavns Beboerhus at 9 pm.
MARCH 16 with Arbe Garbe
Levoncavallo
Via Antoine Watteau 7
Milan
Italy
STAY TUNED FOR NEWS ABOUT MORE ITALIAN DATES
March 29
DOC CHAD SPECTACULAR!
two shows in one night with Banlieus Blues, Paris
1st set duo with Steven de Bruyn, harmonica
2nd set Aki Takase New Blues Project with Aki Takase,
Paul Lovens, Rudi Mahal and Nils Wogram.
APRIL 2 - EINDHOVEN, HOLLAND
w/AD PEIJENBURG (baritone sax, ukulele, etc)
Our second "stay out of central Eindhoven" tour is
on. Cafe Wilhelmina on Monday April 2.
We are playing with Toktek.--homemade instruments,
electronics, modified acoustic bass.
Due to strange financial support reason the concert
is advertised as:
"Go ahead Toktek"
JULY 5 Solo
Two sets at The Stone
New York City, New York
stay tuned for news about live recording show with
Bryan and the Haggards in New York City
IN CONCLUSION, IN THESE TOUGH TIMES, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH IF YOU ARE
INTERESTED IN A DOC CHAD SHOW OR HAVE IDEAS ABOUT VENUES OR CITIES TO
PLAY IN.
I AM HAPPY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IS NEEDED FOR A
SHOW IN TERMS OF BACKLINE, FINANCES, WHATEVER,
BUT THE QUICKEST
SUMMATION OF MY ENTIRE TOURING PHILOSOPHY HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY
JOE PESCI IN HIS MEMORABLE ROLE IN CASINO: "I GOTTA EARN!!"
Don't say you don't have advance
warning!
CLICK
BELOW TO ENTER THE ARCHIVES FOR
THE PAST MIS-ADVENTURES OF THE GOOD DOCTOR CHAD...
