November 04
Err...not alot really! Starting to get gigs organised for next year, the possibility of dropping into a studio sometime soon to record a track or 3 and rehearsing a few more new songs. Currently considering bringing back What You're Proposing, Gerdundula and Claudie, doing a full version of Wild Side of Life, and new covers of Creeping up on You and a Cheap Trick song. Keep an eye on the setlists to see if these actually make it in!! Perhaps "new for 2005"?!

July 04
Well, its been a while since the last update, but mine and Corrine's 1 st child finally arrived at the end of May. And as anyone with kids will know, its very difficult to get any time to do other things!
So, May and June were off-months, because of me, but we are finally back.
The other bit of news, is that Colin is a Spare Part no more. Not alot to say really, but along the usual lines of musical differences and mileage. All very amicable, and good luck to Colin in futre projects.
Our position as it stands currently, is that the end of the day, while we still enjoy playing Quo stuff, and the core of the set will never be anything other than that, we all wanted to expand our repetoir. The band has never been about being a "tribute" band, that concentrates on only Quo, its about playing music that we want to and that we enjoy. As we get older and wiser, we all seemed to drift down the same path, that 12 years of playing most of the set as Quo numbers, could be reigned back a little, and it is time to indulge in some of our other musical likes. This meant that we would play other songs that we enjoy, but also what we think the punters would enjoy. So in come fantastic songs like Paranoid, Comfortably Numb etc....even Let Me Entertain You by a certain Mr Williams has crept in! But you can't go wrong, when at the end of the night the biggest applauds are for these songs! Kind of brings it home that the people we play to enjoy a good mix of great songs! So the plan is to choose another couple and get these in the set asap (whenever that may be!!)
But at the end of the day, we are here to enjoy ourselves, and entertain the people who we play to. This is a hobby and not a job. It should be an enjoyable experience. With this in mind, if you take a step backwards are look at what we played and who we played to, it was not an audience of Quo fanatics! Granted, there have been people like Martin and Ben who make an effort to drop in and see us, but 2 regulars does not make a crowd, and certainly not a large enough crowd to keep the landlord happy! So the future of the Parts is a slightly changed one.....we haven't reached a fork in the road, more that we've left the A-road and turned onto the motorway to find that there is alot more space to work in! There is room for Quo numbers aplenty, but there is also room for other numbers that just sound fantastic!
So, onward and upward.........!!!!

April 04
Breaking news! Bassist arrest in the States!



Or is it a doppleganger????

Mar 04
Wise words from Colin:
28/03/04 saw Bomber Harris in Milton Keynes to spend some time working wth the Oracle on a few projects. Firstly they added keyboard and piano tracks to the Spare Parts demo-CD which is being made, with Don't Waste My Time, Sharp Dressed Man and Paranoid all being completed. After that some work was started (and then abandoned) on the Woodhall-penned track "Better Now" before Harris layed-down a guide on piano/vocals for his original composition "Rock'n'Roll Child", to be recorded bythe Parts band in the coming weeks.
Next on the agenda was Harris' solo-contribution to the Acoustic-Quo charity-CD being made, which was duly completed before another piano+vocals guide was put down for another original compostion for the Parts band, named "King Beats 21".
The final part of the day was spent with a few ideas and takes being done by Woodhall and Harris on Spare Parts' contribution for the aforementioned Acoustic-Quo charity CD.
A good afternoon's work.

Mar 04
Well, not a very auspicious start to the year, 2 gigs cancelled (not our fault!!). But finally got started, at the Red Lion in Biggleswade. The place seems to like us, the landlord does to, so we enjoy playing here! A handful of new songs to, (All Stand Up, The Oriental and Born To Be Wild) sees the set list changed round a bit, with an old favourite of ours back to open the set ...The Way It Goes. With Carl in the driving seat, this song now really works..... great timing and no speeding up! April is becoming busy, just how we like it!

Jan 04
First cancellation of the year, was our first gig of the year!! Bluebell on 25th Jan was double booked apparently, and the other band has been given preference. Oh well, not too worried though, rehearsals have yet to get off the ground this year!! Gives us a bit of time to oil those joints before a new pub in Feb.

Jan 04
A quick look to the giglist, will reveal that we are building our 2004 program. A raft of new pubs and clubs to play at, sees us spreading the spectacle that is Spare Parts! Looking forward to the clubs, its nice to play on a stage rather than packed into a tiny pub, for a change.
Also on the giglist, you'll see that we are not doing any gigs during May and June and Sept. No, its not an extended holiday from our multi-million pound lottery win, its more that we're (thats the wife and me) expecting out 1st baby, (rumours that I'm carrying are totally untrue!), so I'd better be prepared! Better to not take any bookings, rather than have to dash off just before the gig starts! And during Sept, Mark and his fiance will be getting married, so good luck to them to.
The site has had a general tidy up, subtle bits here and there, so subtle infact, you'd be hard pushed to spot any changes!