Merry Xmas!

It has been a big year for King Biscuit Time and it is time to review that year.

In January, Animal rejoined the band after a minor hiatuswich he took to work out some stuff. At that point, we worked on a very short set of six songs which we would eventually commit to CD: a demo set to hand out to venue owners and booking managers. Those six quickly grew to nine!

In April, after 3 months of concentrated rehearsal, we recorded those six, er...nine, songs to CD. The recording session was quite an experience for us. We got an insight into the recording process. We will definitely make use ofthat knowledge in our next recording venture: hopefully next year. We were so well rehearsed, that the time it took to setup in the recording studio wasover three times what it took to record the nine songs! The recording was quickly cut down to the best four tracks which were then committed to CD. (I also learned a bit about licensing too as a result!).

The next big step for us was to enter the Killing Floor Blues Challenge. KFBC is conducted as a lead up to the Juke Joint At Queens: Adelaide Blues Festival. This year being the second year of the Juke Joint and the KFBC. So we honed and refined our original 6 blues songs from the recording session set over the months that followed.

August saw us compete in Heat #1 of the Killing Floor Blues Challenge which was held at the Blackwood RSL. On the bill for heat #1 were, Mick Kidd, Abby Howlett, and King Biscuit Time. The competition was certainly diverse with Mick laying down very nice acoustic slide style country blues and Abby presenting a selection of her own original compositions. We played last and we "layed them in the aisles", even if I say so myself. This is not a complete boast on my part. As it turned out, the Functions Manager of the Blackwood RSL was present and she heard us play. More importantly, she heard the audience reaction. Now it is true that the audience was mainly full of friends, family and fans of the three acts that were playing. However, we managed to get most of them to react to our music in an eager and vigorous manner. The end result was that although we did not win the heat, we did get personal commendations and encouragements from the Juke Joint organisers, Rob Eyers Andrew Dundon and Chris Jennings. Thanks Guys! Besides that, and more importantly, we scored a gig at the Blackwood RSL...

August would also be a watershed for the band for another reason. Tommy "Mott" Hunter resigned from the band after suffering a personal crisis. This left the band without a Harp player right before the KFBC. So we went to the comp down one man but we forged on regardless, exhibiting two of King Biscuit Time's greatest strengths: flexibility and versatility.

In October, we played that gig in the front bar of the Blackwood RSL. A gig that would become one in a series over the next few months, that would be called "Live at the RSL featuring King Biscuit Time". This first gig, opened with an acoustic set by Karl and Lefty and finished with 3 solid sets with the full band. The audience started strong then thinned out over the course of the evening. But it was a good first gig as the only band on the bill and with that line-up. The management were impressed and pleased with our effort. Thanks goes out to Mark Stewart-Jones of the Brompton Blues Band who sat in with us on Harmonica's that night. Cheers mate.

November started out with our second gig at the RSL. The functions manager told me that we did an excellent job the previous month. If we kept up the good work this night, then more work would likely be forthcoming. We dropped the acoustic set and just played three sets this time. The audience was once more strong at the beginning then thinned out once more over the course of the evening. This time we had about 5 more people left at the end that were not related to the band or the bar staff! So we figured we're developing some amount of crowd appeal. Before the month ended, I received a call from the RSL Function Manager: the band that was booked ould not make it; Would we like to play in their place this coming Friday? YES! "Oh, and do you want to play New Years Eve?" Buh..Buh..Y..Y..YES!!! "And your booked in for the 4th December as well." Well you could have rolled me in maple syruip and called me dessert! 3 gigs in one phone call.

We played the November emergency gig and we played December 4th. Both gigs went very well with more and more people staying to the end. December saw a change in our lineup. We returned to being a 5 piece. I handed the bass over to our newest member Stephen "Mr Cool" Rees. And I took up guitar, harmonica's, slide guitar and still doing vocals too.

That brings us to New Year's Eve. That gig is just 7 days away. Animal is having that gig off and celebrating the New Year with his family. So we have enlisted Terry Strand of Lost In Bass to play drums for us that night. It is going to be a great way to finish off the first 10 years of the 21st Century and kick off the next 10. I hope you will come and see us on New Years Eve 2009 at the Blackwood RSL starting at 9pm.

Finally, on behalf of the band, I would like to send out thanks to our wives: Lynn, Darla, & Jo; to our friends and fans who have supported us this year; and the Blackwood RSL for giving us the opportunity to show what we can do.

cheers for now,

Lefty.

Since the Killing Floor Blues Challenge, King Biscuit Time have been playing quite a bit at the Blackwood RSL, scoring 5 gig's in all: 1 in October, 2 in November and 1 in December. In addition to those, we have also been invited to play New Years Eve at the RSL! We must be doing something right, that's for sure. Each gig is noteable for the new people we are meeting and who like our music.

Over the Xmas/New Year break, we will be getting out and about visiting venues to get gig's for 2010.

King Biscuit Time has a new member in the band: Stephen "Mr. Cool" Rees has joined the band and is taking over the role of Bassman. Lefty has moved on to guitar, including slide guitar, and harp's while continuing on lead vocals.

In the New Year, the band will being preparations on new material. The Prof has a load of riffs and arrangements which will be in need of lyrics from Karl and Lefty.

So come and check out King Biscuit Time, on New Years Eve at the Blackwood RSL. And stay tuned for our gig's in the new year.

cheers

Lefty

Live at the RSL

Well, we didn't win the Killing Floor Blues Challenge. But, if you are a subscriber to our facebook page, you will know that we did get a gig out of it. We played the RSL again on 2nd of October to a good crowd. The locals seemed to like what we were doing and all went well.

Almost...I suffered an attack of Atrial Fibrillation. It seems the combination of work stress, performance anxiety, and the all around mix of it all got my little ticker too worked up and now I'm under doctor's orders. But don't worry, the band is still a goer and we are working toward our next gig.

The gig consisted of 4 sets: 1 of me and Karl playing slide and country blues. I got the night under way with Memphis Minnie's "When the Levee Breaks" and Tony Joe White's "As the Crow Flies". Karl threw in an original "(I don't see anything) Bringing You Back To Me" which we turned into a dirty sliding talking blues. We followed that with his song Leadbelly-esque "Joseph Wood" and finished off with "Riot In Cell Block #9".

The next three sets were with the full band. We ripped into songs by Billy Boy Arnold (I Wish You Would), Junior Wells (Little By Little), Muddy Waters (Hoochie Coochie Man and Garbage Man Blues), Sonny Boy (Help Me), Karl Zander (Midnight Song & Wish I Was There), Linton Smith (It's King Biscuit Time), and all of our other fav's.

We were stoked by the success of the night and are looking forward to future gigs. So stay tuned for more KBT news here and on F'book, Myspace and Reverbnation.


Cheers for now
Lefty

"The Blues Will Set You Free..."

Well, we have been practicing like bandit's in preparation for the Killing Floor Blues Challenge. The Line up is Mick Kidd, Abby Howlett and King Biscuit Time Blues Band.

I got a call from Tommy, our Harmonica Player. He is quarantined because his daughter has a confirmed case of Swine Flu. hopefully he will be able to make it to the gig!

2 days to go...

This has turned out to be big week We have been listening to the tracks from our recording session and picking out the best tracks to be put on our demo CD. We have decided on two Tom Waits songs,an original written by Karl and a Muddy Waters classic. The tracks are Big Black Mariah, Heart Attack and Vine, Midnight Song, and Hoochie Coochie Man.

Today, I received an email confirming that King Biscuit Time Blues Band have been selected for the first heat of the Killing Floor Blues Challenge to be held at the Blackwood RSL on the 2nd of August 2009. So it is time to start rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing!

King Biscuit Time Blues Band - Killer Biscuits Have Arrived

Well, after a testing two month wait the final mixdown of King Biscuit Time Blues Band's "Killer Biscuits" has been completed. I have been listening to the 9 tracks and I must say that they are GREAT!

When you set out to do a demo recording you don't make so much fuss over fine tuning performance and you dont worry about the odd bum note. After all, our intention was to make a recording that would sound the same as when playing live on stage. Our intention is for venue owners and booking agents to get a good idea of what they will get when they sign up KBT for a gig.

We have succeeded in doing that. Perhaps, we may have to lift our game a bit as the production work that Steve and Sascha have done has us sounding very, very good. The songs are crisp and clean with real punch. They capture the band's feeling for the blues and the enjoyment that we get when we play. These 9 tracks reach a level of perfection that is close to professional EP standard. Much of the credit goes to Steve and Sascha for putting in the time to set us up in the studio to ensure a clean recording and for not compromising on their standards.

So now King Biscuit Time Blues Band are the lucky owners of 9 excellent tracks. Look out Adelaide: "Killer Biscuits" are coming for you delivered by King Biscuit Time Blues Band, purveyors of fine electric blues.

cheers for now

Lefty

King Biscuit Time Blues Band

So what is it all about? Who is King Biscuit Time Blues Band? Why am I blogging about them?

Last one first: My name is Lefty and I play bass guitar in King Biscuit Time Blues Band.

First one next: It's all about KBT and their crusade to play good blues music.

and finally: King Biscuit Time Blues Band (KBT) is a group of 5 musicians in Adelaide, South Australia, who like to play blues music. The band consists of Peter "The Prof" Petkovic on lead guitar, Mark "Animal" Corry on drums, Linton "Lefty" Smith on bass guitar & vocals, Tom "Mott" Hunter on blues harp, and Karl "Zanderman" Zander on rhythm guitar & vocals.

The band's repertoire is an eclectic mix of originals and blues covers that draws inspiration from the greats of electric blues as well as earlier country blues players.

Our sound is electric in the style of Johnny Winter, early Fleetwood Mac, etc. It centers around the guitar/harp combination.

The band's goal is to eventually play regular gigs around the greater Adelaide area as well as perform at some of the bigger australian blues festivals like Byron Bay Bluesfest and the Thredbo Blues Festival.

I hope to see you at one of our gigs real soon. Or if yo are looking for a blues band you can contact me, Lefty, via lintos1@gmail.com or The Prof via the_prof@bigpond.net.au

Our websites are listed at the bottom of this article.

Cheers,

Lefty
...The Blues Will Set You Free...

KBT Websites:
http://www.myspace.com/kbtblues
http://www.facebook.com/pages/King-Biscuit-Time-Blues-Band/79222668029
http://www.reverbnation.com/kingbiscuittime