A Note About the Last Few Days

The last few days. Oh boy.

Tuesday and Wednesday, one video shoot with Benny Hinn and Sid Roth, followed by photos with the Surgeon General of the United States, followed by photos of Jeff Gordon at an Observer event. Around that, worked on photos for Clair DeLune's forthcoming book, photos for a documentary about a band I used to work with (yes, THAT one), confirmed the date for our CLT 60s Reunion concert at Neighborhood Theatre (mark June 27th on your calendar, more news soon), photos at Charlotte Ballet, and answered a boatload of interview questions for Tylerius Baum. Today, spoke to many people about presenting a music program at various area libraries, one photo shoot done on 25 minutes notice of a luxury penthouse, and photos of the Merry Widow at UNCC. On to Friday. I'm exhausted. See you on the road.
-Daniel
January 29, 2015

Justincase Reunion Show, Charlotte, NC, January 23, 2015

Justin Tosco
Justincase reunion show
Evening Muse
Charlotte, NC
January 23, 2015
all photos copyright 2015 Daniel Coston

Hippiefest Review For Big Takeover Magazine, 2007

Hippiefest
Atlanta, Georgia
August 2, 2007

Needless to say, the billing on this tour was pretty sweet. In one night, you get the Zombies, Turtles, Mountain, Felix Cavilere's Rascals, Mitch Ryder, Joey Molland of Badfinger, County Joe McDonald and Denny Laine. With every artist getting just three to five songs, and limited to just their "hits," the show wasn't the full-on extravaganza that some would've wished for. But for a slice of '60s pop and rock served to mainstream America, it went down better than a Time-Life CD compilation.

Highlights to the first half were Joey Molland, whose set was the first to bring the crowd to its feet, and Mitch Ryder, who can still scream like he did in the 1960s. After a set by Felix Calivere that was too long-winded for my tastes, but went over well with the audience, the Zombies breezed through an always excellent set of their best-known songs. The Turtles proved to be still a lot of fun, throwing out all of their hits with smiling gusto, while Mountain brought the show to a close that was lumbering, at best, but seemed to work for their fans.

The good to this bill was that I finally saw four or five that I've been wanting to see for years, all in one night. The distraction was that it all seemed too brief. Five songs of Felix Cavilere's jam-rock soul seemed to go on too long, while the Zombies came and left too fast. But if one has to choose between not enough of a good thing, and too much of something else, one should always leave them wanting more.
-Daniel Coston

King Tuff/ExHex photos, Charlotte, NC, January 21, 2015

King Tuff
ExHex
Neighborhood Theatre
Charlotte, NC
January 21, 2015
all photos copyright 2015 Daniel Coston

Whigs Review That Features My Photos

http://clture.org/truth-whigs-concert-review-whigs-visulite-theater-2/

Thanks, and Enjoy,
-Daniel
January 18, 2015

Incredible String Band photos, September 2004

Incredible String Band
Wherehouse
Winston-Salem, NC
September 28, 2004
all photos copyright 2004 Daniel Coston
RIP Clive Palmer

Pullman Strike photos, Charlotte, NC, January 10, 2015

Pullman Strike
Silver Lining CD release party
Neighborhood Theatre
Charlotte, NC
January 10, 2015
all photos copyright 2015 Daniel Coston

Midlake interview, 2010

Eric Pulido of Midlake interview

Originally published in Big Takeover Magazine

fall 2010

written by Daniel Coston

While some bands prefer to spend their life in the studio, the Texas  
quintet Midlake welcomed its recent return to the road with open arms.  
“For us, having taken such a long break, it was quite refreshing to  
just change gears, and do something other than record in the studio,  
or rehearse in the studio,” says guitarist Eric Pulido. “To get out  
and play again, it was a great joy, and felt like a band again.

The reason for the band’s return is their new album The Courage Of  
Others, which took much longer to create than the band had planned.  
“It was quite frustrating. We didn’t know what the next record was  
going to be. We just had some songs that [singer] Tim [Smith]  had  
written while touring with [2006 album The Trials Of Van  
Occupanther],” says Pulido. “It took a year of trial and errors, and  
frustrations, of sorting out what we were going to do next. I really  
mean it when I say it was frustrating,because we got nothing. We  
learned what not to do, a lot, we learned to play together, more so.”

Along the way, the band found a new sound steeped in the influences of  
late 1960s and early ‘70s British folk, rock and jazz, such as  
Pentangle, Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention. “We were digesting  
these influences, and many more, and trying to not do it in a pastiche  
way,” says Pulido. “It was us really trying to interpret these  
influences in our own voice. We would always talk about this emotion  
that was in this music, and have that be a big part of the sound, and  
the vibe.”

For many Midlake fans, the sound of the new album has come as a huge  
departure from Van Occupanther, which had taken its cues from the  
likes of Fleetwood Mac, America and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Yet the  
band’s sound has changed with every record in their ten-year history.  
“It has been different,” adds Pulido. “Not for the sake of being  
different. I think we would be totally happy, and we wouldn’t have as  
many gray hairs if we said, ‘Okay, this is the sound, this is what we  
were doing.’ But it wouldn’t be honest, it would be forced.

“Each album is a snapshot of where you’re at that time, and Van  
Occupanther will always be there. We’ll play those songs live, and we  
still enjoy that. This [new record] was something else. I think we  
felt confident that if we’re going to continue being a band, you’ve  
got to go with what’s moving you at that time.”

With touring planned for much of the remaining year, Pulido and  
Midlake are looking forward to wherever they go next. “Now that  
there’s three albums under our belt, you feel like you’re finding your  
place a little more. And know where you’ve been, the mistakes you’ve  
made, and know where you want to go next.”

A Quick Note About The Newest Book In Our Fort Canoga Press Collection

Hello All-

A Story Tourist In Britain is the newest book from FCP! Ohio-based author Janet Crane Barley offers her stories about traveling England and Scotland, seeing the places that inspired some of the greatest works in literary history, and meeting some of the best writers and authors that these countries have to offer. This is Ms Barley's second book, and we're proud to have her be part of the FCP family. You can purchase her book here-


http://www.amazon.com/StoryTourist-Britain-glimpses-Potter-Austen/dp/1500717614/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420831175&sr=1-1&keywords=janet+crane+barley

My sincere thanks to Sandra Barley for her help in putting this book together. Spread the word, and I'll post info soon about this book, as well as other FCP projects. Best wishes,
-Daniel
January 9, 2014

Pullman Strike Interview That Features My Photos

http://clture.org/pullman-strike-finds-silver-lining/

Enjoy,
-Daniel
January 8, 2015

Hilton Valentine (Animals) Interview, 2007

Hilton Valentine: Animal Alone
interview and introduction by Daniel Coston

For over forty years, people have heard the introduction to the Animals' "House Of The Rising Sun," and not known anything about the man playing that legendary riff. Hilton Valentine's stinging guitar was a key element of the band's pioneering blues-rock sound, and his contributions have too often been over-looked. Whether it was a key guitar part, or flailing around the stage during the band's raucous live show, Valentine helped to create something that musicians are still trying to re-create today.

Recently, Valentine has re-emerged with a new album, under the name of Skiffledog. It's Folk N' Skiffle, Mate! features Valentine playing a fine collection of new songs, and the songs that influenced his own musical tastes. Speaking via email from his home in Connecticut, Valentine talks about his new record, and the band that, by his admission, seem to come and go all too quickly. 


BT: Skiffledog! Tell me about your new album, and how this new project came about? 

Valentine: The new album, It's Folk 'N' Skiffle, Mate! which I recorded under the moniker Skiffledog, came about as a result of my wife Germaine's constant prodding after hearing me play these songs around the house for several years. The album is a collection of songs that I wrote over a 30 year period with some old skiffle numbers thrown in that I used to perform with my first skiffle band when I was 13 years old. 

I also do a cover of John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" and Donovan's "Ballad of a Crystal Man."  The songs were recorded live in the studio, many being just me and my acoustic, while others I added additional guitar tracks. I had help with the bass and drums that appear on a few of the tracks.

BT: How does the music on the Skiffledog album relate to the music that you heard as a young music fan and musician?

Valentine: Well, when I first started playing, skiffle music was the craze in England. That, (along with early rock and roll), is what inspired me to pick up guitar in the first place. Skiffle music sounded like it was easy to play. Just what a 13 year old needed to get started. I wish I had the opportunity to record more of this kind of music for the CD; perhaps the next one. Folk songs (acoustic songs, whatever you want to call them) make up the majority of my CD. By the time I was 20 Bob Dylan was gaining popularity and not long after that Donovan was on the scene. They sort of inspired me to start writing songs on my acoustic guitar. I really like that personal approach to music. Everything is just stripped down to the bare bones.

BT: How has the response to Skiffledog been so far? Have Animals fans been keen on this new record from you?

Valentine: The response has been very good from all those that have taken the time to listen to it.  Animals fans have been very receptive and like the fact that I've gone back to my roots. I haven't heard anything negative from any of them. I'm sure there are some out there wondering "what the hell is he doing and where's his electric guitar?". Now that I'm playing out a bit more and have done a television show for PBS, some people have purchased it strictly on its own merits without having any knowledge of The Animals. I'm just concentrating on playing what makes me happy today. If people like it, then that's great.
BT: Tell me how you got interested in American blues music, and what the blues scene in England was like in the early '60s.

Valentine: Ummm, joining [keyboardist] The Alan Price Combo (we later became The Animals) is what got me interested in the blues. Up until that point I was an out and out rock and roller with my band The Wildcats. [Vocalist] Eric [Burdon] had a great record collection of all these blues guys that he got from a friend or relation who worked in the merchant navy, and brought them back from America. He'd let me borrow some so I could get acclimated to playing that style, but in my own way.

Blues records just started becoming really popular among the kids and we were all forming these bands and covering these songs. It was happening all over the country. Venues started popping up to satisfy the demand for live music and this helped fuel the spread of blues music. People started investigating the origins of the blues and found that some of the original artists were still around.  Agents brought them over for tours and they'd have the up and coming English bands as the backing groups for these artists. The Animals were lucky enough to back Sonny Boy Williamson. I thought that was just f*cking great!

BT: How did you meet the other members of the Animals?

Valentine: I was playing with my band The Wildcats and [bassist] Chas Chandler came to one of our shows. The Alan Price Combo didn't have a guitarist at the time and they were looking for one. Chas apparently liked what he heard because he asked me if I would be interested in joining their band and going to London. He invited me to one of their gigs and introduced me to Eric and Alan. [Drummer] John Steel wasn't in the band at the time. I can't remember now if I played any gigs with them before John joined, but I first met him the night of a gig still under the name of The Alan Price Combo.

BT: Tell me about the first Animals gig (with Sonny Boy Williamson II), and the early Animals gigs that followed.

Valentine: We only played once with Sonny Boy and that was at the Club A GoGo in Newcastle, our hometown. That was a blast!  It was the first time that any of us had performed with anyone of that stature.  In the early days everything was just happening so fast. It seemed as if everything was just rushing by. We were having so much fun, we had so much energy, we were focused and we just knew we were going to make it. Those were really great times because all the friction between the band members had not yet started and people were not ripping us off left and right. Not long after we signed our first contract, it all changed.

BT: The rise of the Animals to national (and international) prominence seemed to happen very quickly, in retrospect. How did that happen, and how fast did that seem to happen?

Valentine: It did happen very quickly. Within a few months after changing our name to The Animals, we had a hit single with "Baby Let Me Take You Home" and a few months after that we had a world wide hit with "House of the Rising Sun."
BT: The Animals also seemed to quickly become known for their exciting live shows. For you, what was it that made the Animals such a good live band?

Valentine: The energy and drive. Most studios/producers cannot capture the raw energy of a band. For me, it was especially fun to play live because my guitar work played more of a role in the band.

BT: Do you regret that there are not more live recordings of the Animals from the '60s?

Valentine:  Certainly do. Apart from the bootleg from the Club A GoGo I don't think there are any. Well, hold on a minute, there is some film footage (also bootleg) of us at the NME Poll Winners Concert and I think the Richmond Jazz Festival. The thing is, no one can get legitimate, clean copies of this stuff.

BT: What were some of your favorite songs to play with the Animals?

Valentine: "Talkin' 'Bout You" was always fun to play.  "I'm Crying," "Let it Rock," "Inside Looking Out," "I'm Mad Again", "Around and Around," and I guess "We Gotta Get Out of This Place."

BT: I have seen a million guitarists try to play (and fail) your guitar part on House Of The Rising Sun. What are your re-collections of that song, and it's recording.

Valentine: I first heard HOTRS by Bob Dylan. I was totally knocked out by it. I think Eric suggested that we record it, though he had a different version of it. I think the one by Josh White. Anyway, it was recorded in one take. When we finished I just knew that it was going to number one.
BT: Did the crediting of the House arrangement to Alan Price eventually lead to Price's leaving in May of 1965, as it has been suggested elsewhere? Or was the build-up to Price's leaving come for a number of factors?

Valentine: Ummmm, yeah, that's how we saw it.  We believe he left the band after receiving the first royalty cheque for that song. It's a long story, but we were all supposed to get equal shares of that as we all arranged it.

BT: How did the band change once Dave Rowberry joined the band?

Valentine: It didn't really change much at all.  Dave was a perfect replacement.  People tend to forget that he played on as many hits as Alan did.

BT: In 1966, the Animals broke away from producer Mickie Most, who seemed to push the band toward an importance on the pop-singles market. What led to that break?

Valentine: We went to another producer because we thought we'd be better off financially and artistically. We had a horrible deal with Mickie.
BT: Was it frustrating for you and the band that your singles, while important, weren't always in line with what the Animals were playing live?

Valentine: Well, not for me. I liked the hits just as well as the other stuff. I can't speak for the others but I can't remember them saying anything negative about that and it seems to me that if we didn't like a song then we just wouldn't play it.
BT: By 1966, the rest of the original Animals began to leave. You left at the end of '66. Describe that period, and what led to your leaving?
Valentine: It was only John Steel that left (after Alan's leaving in May '65). Dave, Chas, Eric and I continued on with Barry Jenkins for a few months until Eric just jacked it in and called it quits. He wanted to start another band in California.

BT: After you left the Animals, you did some writing and managing for a couple of artists. Tell me about that.

Valentine: Yeah, I did try a bit of that. One of the songs I penned is actually a bit of a psychedelic cult hit found on some compilation CD now. "Deep Inside Your Mind" was the track and it was recorded by Keith Shields. I produced a few records for him on the Decca label.  Obviously none of those efforts panned out that well.
BT: The original Animals (sometimes with and without Price) re-formed for fine albums and tours in 1975, and 1983. How did those records come about, and were they fun experiences?

Valentine: Alan Price was with us for all original Animals reunions - 1968, 1975, and 1983.  I don't really know how the Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted LP came about.  I was living in LA and got a call from Chas one day asking me if I would be interested in recording with The Animals again.  As far as the other one (ARK) that came about because we wanted to put out an LP because we were going on a world tour. England had re-released House OTRS and did really well in the charts. I guess that could be what started the ball rolling for the '83 reunion.

BT: What were you doing during this time, apart from the Animals?

Valentine: In '75 I was living in LA taking it easy. In '83 I was living back in my hometown in the UK playing with a local band.

BT: You played in Animals II, with John Steel and Dave Rowberry, from 1994 to 2001. How did that come about, and did your moving to America lead you to leave the band?

Valentine: I was playing in a local band in Newcastle and we started putting some Animals songs in the set.  It went down really well.  I got asked to perform at some venues doing just Animals songs as Hilton Valentine's Animals so I agreed to do that. As more and more gigs started coming in, I asked John to join up with me and soon after I changed it to AnimalsII. That band split up in July of '99. Dave started in August of '99. Chas wasn't alive anymore but the 3 of us were playing together so we felt right in using our name The Animals.  Eric wasn't using it at the time so there wasn't a conflict. I quit, therefore disolving that band. John and Dave carried on as something else until Dave died a couple of years ago. Moving to the States had nothing to do with it. I left because of internal politics.
BT:  What is your relationship like with the rest of the Animals these days?
Valentine: Well, the only one I still see is Eric but I do speak with Barry Jenkins on occassion.

BT: What were some of your favorite bands-to listen to, or jam with- over your career?

Valentine: The Yardbirds, Spencer Davis Group, The Pretty Things.........oh yes! and it was good fun playing with Robbie Krieger when he came to town [in 2001].

BT: You influenced a lot of other musicians in your time. How would you describe your career?

Valentine: Well I think my career with The Animals was too short.

BT: Anything you'd like to talk about- incidents, experiences, personal observations- that you'd like to discuss?

Valentine: Well, the only thing else I'd like to say is that people can listen to what I'm doing now by visiting my website at
http://www.hiltonvalentine.com/

Frontier Ruckus Interview That Features My Photos Of The Band

http://clture.org/frontier-ruckus/

Enjoy,
-Daniel
January 4, 2015

A Good Line That I Need To Work Into A Larger Piece

A falling star in love with crash landings.
-Daniel
January 2, 2015