Choice of Name

So, lately I've been giving some thought to the name under which I'll be releasing records. My thinking stems from a concern I have that my real name (Andrew McHugh) isn't very exciting. I also think I would like to be in a band, rather than simply be a solo artist, and be able to immerse myself in that kind of last gang in town mentality that you often read about in books about bands. Talking of which, my favourite rock n roll book ever is "Please Kill Me" by Legs McNeill. Check it out if you like books and music.

I want to use this post as a kind of scratchpad for ideas for my band name, that I can share with you and hopefully if anyone feels inclined to do so they can comment on whether or not they think they're any use. I already started this on a post somewhere below, but consider this the official brainstorming session. Feel free to suggest what I should be called if you would like to do so.

1. The Meat Counter (my original idea, stemming from a decision to call myself after the best named shop on dumbarton road, a competition which this local butchers shop won. it would be easy to have gimmicks associated with it. Can you imagine a packed out madision square gardens crowd counting along in unison as I threw a variety of meat products into the sweaty throng? Would be excellent I think).
2. Aesop (this is kind of my chosen hip hop name. It's based around the fact that the chap Aesop told stories (he called them fables) and i'd kind of be an urban story teller, as well as the fact that in street parlance one might say "Ay 'supp?", meaning "Hello, what's cooking?". I also like the way that it rhymes with furry cup which might be a catchy albeit parental advisory lyric in one of my more risque lps).
3. To be continued...

Tools of the Trade
I'd also like to take this opportunity to talk to some of my guitar playing audience about the various axes I've managed to accumulate. From an initial starting point where all i had available was a Guitar hero II SG Controller, I've now got access to some three guitars, virtually a collection. Photos will be added, but for now, here's some textual descriptions...

Acoustic (made by a mysterious company called 'Ranger'): A six (steel) string acoustic guitar this is the one that belongs to my brother, which i have taken on permanent loan. [Actually, a word to my brother, who sustained nasty ligament tearage while playing football with me on Saturday, get well soon!] Anyway, this guitar is quite good, and I think as I grow up as a player I will develop an increasing fondness for it. However, at the moment its neck is quite narrow and its strings are all coming at me like cheese-wire on my fingers, so it's difficult to play. But when i'm ace I'll probably sleep alongside it or something. This is my first real six string. Although I didn't buy it at the 5 and dime. Whatever that is.

Classical (made by a company I've heard of called Hohner i believe): This is also a six string, but with three nylon strings. It's considerably less streamlined than the acoustic, but I think maybe better made. It's got a nice fat neck for big hands and the strings are less sore cos they're not steel. Good for learning! (I hope). This guitar belongs to my friend Laura who has no time for music now that she has her little bairn Michael to look after. I will therefore be stealing this guitar and passing it off as my own. Laura is also the owner of the four-track recording studio what-sit that I'll get running very soon in the interests of letting you hear my work so far.

Electric: I've not seen this guitar yet, and I don't know who makes it or even what colour it is, but Adam has offered to lend me it (it belongs to him I think, he's not just passing on stolen goods) in order to facilitate the achievement of my endeavour. He says it's much easier to learn on the electric because you can just make a bunch of noise and people assume you mean it. Which sounds like a reasonable philosophy, but perhaps not one to implement prior to learning the very basics. So expect a Dylan-esque judas moment sometime in the next couple of months where i go electric and cos immediate schisms across the entire musical landscape. Looking forward to making distortion happen with this.

So I've been lucky to have been well positioned to steal and be offered such varied guitar access. I also know someone with a ukelele, although if the acoustic neck seems a little cramped I think the formby special would be like lilliput to my big gulliver digits. They'll become increasingly svelte and nimble over time though I'm sure.