With 7-8 demo tracks under way, the Gentle Enemies are first building their very own recording studio in preparation to record their upcoming debut album. Double walls and ceiling (room within a room), sand in the floor, sound proof ducting, rubber padding under the floor joists, the list goes on…. sound ain’t gonna get in or out.
This is a team effort with Ryan Van Gennip (bass player of Gentle Enemies) and builder Aden Holmes. More pics HERE
In the meantime Claude continues performances as band and solo around and Australia and zips over to Singapore even during silly season for a show. Finishing 2014 with a bang at Newcastle’s Stag and Hunter. Check out the GIGS page for full list
Known around the world as one of the leading exponents of live looping and solo performance, Australian roots and blues/rock artist Claude Hay has had a busy 2014, including 2 tours to Europe which included being showcased on Netherland’s national TV free to air show music show, Vrije Geluiden.
After having shared festival stages with international acts such as Tedeschi Trucks Band and JJ Grey and Mofro overseas, Claude returns to Australia to support USA’s grammy award winning guitarist Joe Bonamassa at Perth’s Concert Hall. And whilst he is in the WA he will be doing side shows with a swag of Perth’s finest rock bands including Ragdollwho are fresh off their US tour.
Claude Hay, winner of Australia’s Blues Male Vocalist of 2013, and Music Oz’s Best Live Independent Act (2014), has released 3 studio albums to date with Deep Fried Satisfied reaching #9 on USA’s Blues Billboard Charts as well as charting at #5 on Amazon’s Blues Charts.
Whilst Hay embarks on writing for his new 3 piece band, The Gentle Enemies, as his next full album venture, he continues his electrifying solo show for the rest of the year, releasing his first live DVD+CD, entitled Live at the Clarendon which showcases tracks from his 2012 release I Love Hate You plus some of his personal favourites from the previous 2 albums. Shot in his home town Katoomba NSW, Blue Mountains, the DVD gets up close and personal, demonstrating his full swag of multi-tasking skills. From drumming, to guitar and vocal prowess to self made custom guitars and set construction and design, Claude Hay is a true proponent of the Do-It-Yourself, independent artist. Check out a review of the live DVD by Blues Rock Review HERE.
Saturday 20th Sept (afternoon)
Guitars! Guitars! Guitars! All Ages Blues and Rock Fest in the aid of local Cancer Charity TRYACT. Not only do you get four hours of rock you get the Rock Doll dancers and so much more. Suitable for all ages in Joondalup’s new music venue…
WCIT
35 Kendrew Cresc
JOONDALUP
$5 Entry. Doors open 11am
Claude Hay has unveiled a film clip for the single ‘Borracho’ – the first for his new side project ‘The Gentle Enemies’. Animated in the style of Mexican Bar Noir by Mike Foxall (the artist behind Frenzal Rhomb and Nancy Vandal) – the new video tells a dark and gritty tale of Claude and the boys angering the local drug lord though the misuse of tequila, and the resulting Tarantino-esque escapade that follows.
Roots-rock artist Claude Hay is known around the world as a leading exponent of live looping – technology allowing him to create the sound of a live band whilst playing solo. Claude has taken a surprising next step and joined forces with actual live breathing musicians to release the double A-side single ‘Borracho/Run’ under the moniker of ‘Claude Hay and The Gentle Enemies’.
Weighing in somewhere exactly between C. W. Stoneking and Queens of The Stone Age, Claude’s new tracks come from different sides of the spectrum. The song Borracho is classic Claude Hay and chugs along with fuzzy funk intensity as it relates a common tale of over-indulgence. Run is quite a different beast and would likely never have seen the light of day without a full band behind it. Run is a protest song aimed squarely at one of the most hated politicians in Australian history and Hay grinds the axe with one of the best rock and roll screams since Chris Cornell.
The Borracho tour has been running since March and continues to early June. Melbourne and Sydney shows coming up (dates in sidebar).
Borracho and Run are available from all good online music retailers and you can preview them on soundcloud:
Borracho: Click Here
Run: Click Here
The Borracho Tour – Dates
Thursday May 15 The Public Bar,
North Melbourne
with special guests
The Groves,
The Ivory Elephant
8:00 pm, $10
In amongst the band tour, Claude zipped over to The Netherlands to play solo some of their biggest festivals. Moulin Blues Festival (see video below) was a hi-lite. Apart from playing to a packed big top crowd he also got to check out the headliner Tedeschi Trucks Band. From running out of petrol to using the currency of cds to get out of a jaywalking fine to hotel window view of Eurovision to 10 Jagers for 10 Euros, being on the road is packed with many tales of highs and lows. You can continue following him on Facebook before he hops off the plane in Sydney and heads straight to Melbourne for the Gentle Enemies show at the Public Bar on Thursday May 15th.
