| SEPTEMBER 2000 Friday 1 September - Zen Arcade celebrated Spring Day with a gig at Abelarde Sanction, also featuring Slow, Martin from a>e>b and the offbeat but compelling Sharkbrother. Not About You was introduced to the crowd, which was unanimous in its approval. Also featured was Al's newly shaven bald head. Monday 4 September - the band's most bizarre gig to date. Via an obscure chain of contacts, Zen Arcade was invited to play at the orientation week of Johannesburg College of Education. The audience comprised some 700 schoolkids in uniform (mainly female), prompting the band to christen the gig the Teenage Crush/American Beauty Tour. The ridiculous hour (6.30 a.m. soundcheck, playing at 8 a.m) saw the band grateful that only 20 minutes were allocated to the set (Step Back, Crazy, Summer Sun, Not About You). Everyone was pleasantly surprised to meet with a warm response. The same procedure was repeated on Wednesday morning, 6 September - this time, with a crowd of about 1200. The stage sound was much improved and the crowd got into the music. Very pleasant indeed, and more to the point, very lucrative. The proceeds were put towards the impending recording at RP records with Neal Snyman, pencilled in for the end of the month. |
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| OCTOBER 2000 Sunday 1 October - The recording having been postponed due to Neal's unforseen visit to Australia, the band spent an intensive 3 hours at Sharp Street Studios, recording 6 "scratch" demos with guitar virtuoso Willem Moller. The songs, Lopsided Affair, Up, Summer Sun, Queen of Make Do, Not About You and Take Out The Trash , were laid straight onto 2 tracks. Wednesday 13 October - The smallish crowd that braved the miserable weather to see Zen Arcade play at Bugsys Beat Bar were not disappointed. Sartorial silliness was order of the day. Iain arrived with blue hair, James was half blue, half blonde while Andy was peroxided white. Opening act was The Sherly Temples. The sound was excellent and the environment comfortable. Kicking off with the uncharacteristically quiet new song, Ode, the band delivered an upbeat, noisy set to vociferous approval. For the first time, the famous Buskers Hat was produced - and to everyone's amazement, it was filled with money! |
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| D-BASS DIARY |
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