Rob Redhead/Driftwood - Stubbs Demo 1994

Rob Redhead/Driftwood - Stubbs Demo 1994

Performed By Rob Redhead [Vocals Guitar Harmonica]
1. Song For A Woman
2. Takes A Sane Man
3. Wake Up The Mongrel
4. Window

Songs Written By Rob Redhead
Produced By Frankie Stubbs 1994

Punk rocker songwriter Frankie Stubbs of legendary UK punk band "Leatherface" from Sunderland was and still is part of the music fabric of the town and me being at university there with my band Driftwood then it was inevitable that frankie would become part of the driftwood story. At that time 1993-95 frank was doing solo gigs strumming on an acoustic guitar and growling along to his own songs. Frankie stubbs and driftwood appeared on the same bill a good few times at the dexy's music bar in the city centre, he like many other lads had fallen under Driftwood singer Rita's spell dreamily watching her singing live on stage, their was a healthy music scene buzzing at that time in sunderland and we all had some great times (drunken times). One day i was stood busking in sunderland and frankie walked past he asked if i wanted to record a demo tape i said "i've got no money"! and he said "i'll do it for you for nowt", He ran a small recording studio in sunderland hence how he was and still is known by everybody there. I recorded the demo of me singing a few of my songs and double tracked some vocals, whilst i was double tracking he had said to a friend of mine in the control room: "thats bizzarre he's tracking every word perfect! i thought this was going to take hours, not many people can do that". I have always had that ability to double track a vocal exactly first take, nowadays i dont double track vocals i just make sure ive got the song key right for my vocal in the first place, my voice today is the best its ever been. And that comes onto this demo, i did'nt like it.. i did'nt like my vocals, on it..the songs are okay, i have ran this demo through moises and lowered the vocals a smidge and added a bit of comp and reverb, and i can live with it now.. none of this down to stubbs who done a decent recording. Thinking about this now i dont know why driftwood did'nt go into his studio to do more of our own song recordings? we should have!.. Frankie would have enjoyed that. It's also odd to note that the two biggest bands of their generation from rival towns Newcastle and Sunderland were Venom and Leatherface, i find it funny that i knew both personally.