OldGothAndy

ABOUT

Recently released an E.P. on bandcamp at: https://19thincarnation.bandcamp/album/illustrations It's full of problems and very much my first attempt at mixing & mastering, but it's a place to start and I'm still learning from it.

Bass was my main instrument but I also play diatonic accordion, guitar and anglo concertina in varying degrees of ability. I can program a useable drum pattern with Addictive Drums 2 and am getting to grips with the Roland MC-707. I'm very much getting into subtractive synthesis with my hardware synths and software emulations.

I grew up listening to Goth, Alternative, Industrial and 80s Electronica and noodled around with a bass guitar for a few years, not really getting anywhere. Then in my 30s I joined a Morris Dancing side and started to learn to play diatonic accordion. I injured both heels one day by dancing too much and haven't really been able to dance much since. That was when music became a much more prominent part of my life.

I played in a ceilidh band for some years, running their PA and working on tune arranging and live playing. That band came to its natural end so I spent a couple of years working on my own acoustic music, playing, writing and arranging.

The Pandemic arrived and I was in the position to buy a bass guitar, so I returned to the music I grew up listening to. I started writing / composing more tunes and taught myself how to use Reaper for recording and mixing.

Not really looking to join a band right now, but might be persuaded to get involved in some short-term projects.

Oh, and I'm on the waiting list to get an assessment for autism.

I wrote a silly little tune which was included in one of the Bonkwave compilations on Mastodon, which seems to have got some people excited about Vimto.

I moved house in the middle of 2025 which disrupted things massively. I've finally got my home studio put together and I'm easing myself back into music making.

Screen name:: OldGothAndy
Member since:: Aug 08 2020; Active within 1 week
Level of commitment:: Very Committed
Years playing music:: 9
Gigs played:: 50 to 100
Tend to practice:: More than 3 times per week

Influences

Folkie stuff includes Topette!!, Leveret, Jiggy, Hannah James, The Demon Barbers, Blackbeard's Tea Party, Gogol Bordello.

Too many goth /alternative /punk /post-punk /industrial bands to list but currently having a bit of a revival of Siouxsie, The Cure, Stranglers, Killing Joke, Sisters of Mercy.

Picking up some electronica & techno /trance stuff - Eat Static, William Orbit, Brian Eno, CJ Bolland, Juno Reactor, Jean Michel Jarre, Transglobal Underground, Deep Forest, Leftfield, Underworld, that sort of thing.

There's usually a bit of early-mid 80's pop in the mix somewhere along the line - Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Nik Kershaw, Howard Jones.

Instrument experience:

Accordion:: Expert
Bass Guitar:: Moderate
Vocalist:: Moderate
Lead Guitar:: Intermediate
Background Singer:: Intermediate
Mandolin:: Intermediate
Rhythm Guitar:: Beginner
Violin:: Beginner
Keyboard:: Beginner
Other:: Beginner
Electronic Music:: Beginner

EQUIPMENT

Yamaha 5 string bass
Hagstrom Swede Shorty Bass
Squire fretless bass ("The Guessing Stick")
Ampeg Portaflex PF-500 bass head.
Saltarelle diatonic accordions (d/g & c#/d/g) and Paolo Soprani in D/G
Various Guitars (inc 12-string electric) in various tunings (inc EBEABE & DADGAD)
Eastman Mandolin
Roland MC-707 groovebox / sampler
Roland SP-404 Sampler
Behringer MS-1 Synthesiser, a couple of TB-3s, mini Juno and mini Prophet Vector.
UNO Synth Pro X
Roland JD-XA
Roland Gaia 2
Arturia Pro XI VST collection wired into a MIDI hub along with a few other Roland and Cherry Audio VSTs.
Keystep Pro
Beatstep Pro
SL49 mkIII
Boss GT-1000 Core for synth & VST FX
Novation MiniNova synthesiser.
Range of TC Electronics & Boss stereo effects pedals.
I've recently picked up electric violin and I'm slowly making some progress.

I'm running my basses and guitars through an FRFR setup, so I don't really use traditional amps. I put my bass signal through an Ampeg Portaflex PF-500 but bypass the power amp stage into effects pedals. My guitar signal goes into effects pedals, everything comes out at line level and then goes through the PA system, which means I can take advantage of some really cool stereo effects.

I record stuff in a Zoom R20 and a Tascam DP32sd then mix & master in Reaper.

I also have a kazoo in the shape of a trombone.

I probably have too many instruments, but I will never get rid of the kazoo.