The Bit When I Wasn’t There.
So sorry about that.
A year or so went by… The Poppies did an NZ tour, and released a single:
One of the songs of which is here:
Which I did not in fact play on, on account of not being there. Robert Axford took over from me.
Top bloke – kindof American, German, Kiwi hybrid. I think. I like Rob.
The Wild Poppies were kindofa hybrid kindofa band – there have been times when I’ve been tempted to say that “I was the only normal one”, but that hasn’t really worked out that well for me. I’m en-route to out-black-sheeping pretty much everyone I know, apart from Ian of course… I get it now, I really do. I zigged when I should have zagged back in 94. I found a demon – and I’ll tell you what it is: Money. I learned how to make money, and it completely fucked me up, mainly because I spent almost all of it on drugs.
Anyway – Black-sheep. I think that’s probably what every good band is – 4 or 5 black-sheep of various families, who answer a random advert, and then like, marry each other (or whatever) and spend the next 5 years in the back of a transit van, smoking dope and driving round The Midlands, playing to dozens of other black sheep.
So anyway, Rob is the only Wild Poppy I haven’t actually been in a band with… which is a pity. I think he’s probably smarter than the rest of us put together. I’d like to be in a band with Rob, but we’re both lead-guitarists, so that would never work. I mean it’d be worse than this – which is ACTUAL FOOTAGE from a Wild Poppies rehearsal.
Still, if Rob rang up tomorrow and said “we should form a band”, I’d say “yes”.
…
Anyway… The Wild Poppies etc. For a year I wasn’t there. I was elsewhere.
Went to Aus to make enough money to get to England… then went to England…
… and then…
Great story! I’ve been really digging the Wild Poppies lately. I just discovered you guys recently. Stare At The Sun is one of my fav Poppies songs. I can’t find the chords anywhere, how can i get them?
Hiya
Probably the best way is to ask me 🙂 – although (as is the case for all of our songs), I’d have to actually listen to it again and figure out what the chords are… and by now, you’re probably as good at that as I am.
All the Poppies songs are in standard tuning (apart from the D-Song, which has a dropped D)
Stare at The Sun – I didn’t write any of this one, or play it on the recording… I used to play it live though. A lot.
Intro
…………..
It’s in D – starts off with an arpeggio – trad triangular D shape – changing to G, by keeping your finger on the pointy bit of the D…
3x – then to A major… the simplest one down by the neck…
Verse
…………..
Pretty much the same.
D G D G D G A A
Chorus
…………..
G A D G
4 times
After the Chorus bit
…………..
This is just the triangular D shape slid up the neck, so
D G A G
Then back into the verse.
…
Sorry – those aren’t proper tabs I know – but I don’t really have the facilities for those at the moment.
It’s all about as simple as it’s possible to be though – we were basically 3rd-Gen Velvet Underground, 2nd-gen Byrds inspirees, on shrooms. I don’t know if we ever actually achieved that, but that’s kindof where we were coming from. I think.
Hey thanks alot man ?, you were pretty helpful and clarified a few things for me. Much appreciated.
Eure Musik das erste Mal reingehört, gefällt mir.
Nach Robert gegoogelt,…..über 40 Jahre nichts von ihm gehört.
Ist es möglich über euch an Kontakten zu kommen.
Heike Goltermann(Robert kennt mich unter Schönhütte,falls er sich noch erinnert)
Danke
Hiya
I talked to Rob – you’ve managed to get in touch already?
Lovely 🙂