Becca and Matt bathed in purple

Gigs are beginning to slow down – however the up side is that we have more time to rehearse, and also work on our recording  and promotion projects -( is there a  tee shirt in the works ?) – we’ll let you know !

As for the Monday nights, we’ll be back at Latitude 18 next season (around Thanksgiving). The band is sounding tighter and more in the groove lately. Now we just need some gigs – got any ?

It was nice to see the crowd response on “Trippin Thursday” at Jack’s. By one count at midway there were 122 people, and that probably went up since more folks were arriving even during the last set. With the new stage lighting  ( we’ve included  a shot of  Matt and Becca bathed in purple )- it feels more like a show !  This great shot, among many others was captured by Steve Danesi, the owner of Jack’s,who has a real knack for this – hey, ever thought about quitting your day job ??

Our Hermit was there and also captured some great shots, as well as recording and video-graphing the entire show !! We’ll keep you posted on that project ! Cheers !!

The band had a very productive day during our first recording session. We did 5 “scratch tracks’, for the 5 songs that will be on our upcoming Demo CD. Everybody feels fine with the drum tracks – so we’re on our way !!

Everybody did just fine in a “studio setting”, which is always a big question mark for a live band, such as we are ! We tried to recreate the live “feel” as much as possible by having 4 of us in one room, but of course the drummer had to be in his own soundproof “cocoon” !

In case you’re wondering which songs were chosen – they are :  Hey Boy, Margery, Suzie, One Way Out, and Jack Sprat. Our recording engineer Zan Llaneeza  felt good about the recording session – and that’s  a good sign !!  So it’s onward – we’ll keep you posted !!

Robert Falzarano in his soundproof cocoon during our first recording session

Becca Darling, Danny Silber, and Matt Cring during a relaxed moment in the studio

Becca Darling and Matt Cring during our first recording session

Yesterday was an exciting step forward for the band. We are beginning work  on our first studio recording ! We decided that it will be all original songs, and that Morgan Rael will act as the producer. He will work, with Zan llaneza, who will be the engineer, and of course will be coordinating with the band members and most importantly with Becca !

Our first session was less than thrilling ! We just went over 6 songs that we’ll be recording – there was some mix-up so the recording engineer was not there. At least we got the feel of playing in a small room with limited air ?? – not that we’re whining – it was still worthwhile.

Next we have to find the time to rehearse, and add some new cover tunes, so our fans don’t get tired of our repertoire – after all, it’s a small island.  We had a full house at Latitude 18 last Monday – and the band always gets hyped up from the energy flowing back and forth !

The Becca Darling Band Live at Latitude 18

The band played before a small, but supportive crowd last Saturday night. It rained heavy for a solid 2 hours just before we were to begin, and that practically insured a small turnout. Nonetheless, the band had one of it’s better nights musically !!

Becca’s dear friend, Grace Notary was there on a visit to St Thomas, and both of them were beaming – one could see the genuine affection there. Becca sang the great Latin love song “Besame Mucho”, for the first time (in public), and did a superb job of  “delivering” the passion of this song.

Becca gave a playful rendition of the dance tune “Fergalicious”, and the band had fun, plus played well for pretty much the whole night !

This coming week  the band added a Friday night at latitude 18 as a fill in for the regular act – who is off-island. We will have guest artist Paul Dirks on bass! It’s always a pleasure to work with him !!

Last Saturday , the band played at Hull Bay to an enthusiastic crowd of mostly locals.

Ras Abijah as guest guitarist,  put in his usual excellent performance,  adding his own flavor, while somehow learning tunes on the spot . The band played a new original written by Becca and Matt, titled” Susie”, which I think has hit song potential.   Randy, our patron “angel”, came out to record the band and take some photos. Although the stage lighting leaves something to be desired, Randy could still get decent photos because he has a high quality camera. Becca had fun singing Fergalicious with some “attitude”,  and when Becca’s having fun the band is doing it’s job !

The Becca Darling Band is back at Hull Bay Hideaway tonight -come join us !

I want to talk about the open mike night at the Sun Dog Cafe.  There were several fine performers and an appreciative crowd. When an open mike night is good – it’s got that certain combination of spontaneity and form that only  be found at such a venue. I was at two such events this week- and each one was excellent in it’s own way.

Photo by Paul Dirks

Last Saturday night (the 17th), We played at Hull Bay before  an enthusiastic crowd of mostly “northsiders”. There was a buzz and electricity in the place. Ras Abijah played quite well – especially considering the fact that many of the tunes he had heard only once or twice before! I began to recognize some of the faces which signifies we are in fact “building a fan base”   We tried out some new “dance tunes”, and they were well received – folks actually danced!!

Well, we’re back at Hull Bay Hideaway! There is usually a good crowd here and they appreciate the music, so it makes for a nice ambiance. This time we have Ras Abijah on guitar (subbing for Morgan). We hit at 7pm!

We enjoy the crowd at Jack’s. Almost all locals-we usually know quite a few of them. Plus Becca does a Trivia night there on Tuesdays, and does have a fan base for that! We’ll be playing our usual eclectic mix of  Blues, Country, Rock, R&B, Jazz, and original songs!  We hit at 7:30pm. Come on down and hang!!

The Becca Darling Band will be playing at Latitude 18 on Wednesday,March 17th–and every Monday from then on! This will be a chance to build our “fan base”. It’s our first steady gig and is just what we need at this time! Latitude is a landmark cultural place to play–( lots of very good music has been made there over the years)-and it’s got a great vibe!!

Becca going to work!!