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Hi, this is Ivan Pongracic, formerly of the Space Cossacks and
currently of the Troubadours.
I'm extremely happy to introduce my new surf band, the Madeira. The
Madeira has Dane Carter on drums, Scott Waddell on bass, Patrick
O'Connor on rhythm guitar, and myself on lead guitar (Scott and Dane
have been known to show up on SG101). Dane and Scott are also in the
Troubadours with me, and Patrick is also the lead guitar player in
Destination: Earth! from Indianapolis (D:E! is still together and
they'll continue to subjugate the Earthlings throughout the Midwest).
We spent a weekend in mid-April practicing for the first time, and
sparks were flying! I can honestly say that I have never played with
a finer group of musicians than this, and I'm just giddy with
excitement over the possibilities. I'm also really happy to be
getting back to surf music proper after playing only Shadows covers
for the last four years (the Troubadours, BTW, will also continue).
We fully intend to make this an original band and we're already
working on three new originals with more to come soon. But for now
it's mostly covers, though not your usual covers. We'll be doing
some Space Cossacks stuff, some New World Relampagos, some rarer
first wave things and even some third wave songs by the Treble
Spankers and the Surf Coasters. Oh, and then there's that Paco de
Lucia cover! We're aiming to develop the whole North African
(Morocco, etc.) and Southern Spain (Andalucia, flamenco stuff)
connection to the surf sound - that's the MO. Still keeping the feet
firmly planted in the trad sounds, but with the eyes aimed at the
horizons, trying to peer a bit beyond. It promises to be
interesting, if nothing else!
Brian Neal has kindly put up a temporary website for us as part of
the SG101 website (Thanks Brian you RULE!!). Go here:
It's very bare at this moment, but there are two mp3s available for
download. Both songs are covers: "Express to Bagdad" originally by
the Atlantics (from '64) and "Intruder" originally by the Surf
Coasters. The first seemed quite topical as well as effectively
showcasing the band chops, and the second is just a mind-blowing tune
that seemed like a really nice challenge - hopefully we lived up to
it! The recording is from our first practice session in a very hi-fi-
hostile environment. It was recorded in Dane's basement with bare
hard walls and the sound bouncing all over the place. In addition,
we could only record on two tracks so we had two mics for four
instruments. (Yes, that's what they call an ambient recording.) And
to top it off, we didn't really have the time to ensure the best mic
instrument balance, and as a result the rhythm guitar got buried
(fortunately Patrick set up the recording so he can't claim a
conspiracy to keep him quiet! :). But we're quite pleased by the
results, and it'll give you some idea of what this band is all
about. We hope to have a few more mp3s from the same practice
session to put up in the next few days
Finally, we would like to announce our first gig. It'll be on
Saturday, June 5th, at Zanies Too in Indianapolis, with the Volcanos
and the Troubadours (the same venue where the Troubadours played with
Destination: Earth! and the Nebulas last year). So, you'll get the
hard-driving exotic-tinged surf of the Madeira, groovy trad surf of
the near-legendary Volcanos AND the finest (well, the only) American
Shadows cover band! Consider this an invitation for people from all
over the country - we'll try to make it a memorable show and worth
your airfare or long hours on the road! I hope at least a few of you
can make it.
Thanks for reading and listening, and hope to see all of you over the
next few years.
Ivan
The mp3's sound great, Ivan!
-Marty
----- Original Message -----
From: ipongrac
To:
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004 8:39 PM
Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Introducing: The Madeira!
Hi, this is Ivan Pongracic, formerly of the Space Cossacks and
currently of the Troubadours.
I'm extremely happy to introduce my new surf band, the Madeira. The
Madeira has Dane Carter on drums, Scott Waddell on bass, Patrick
O'Connor on rhythm guitar, and myself on lead guitar (Scott and Dane
have been known to show up on SG101). Dane and Scott are also in the
Troubadours with me, and Patrick is also the lead guitar player in
Destination: Earth! from Indianapolis (D:E! is still together and
they'll continue to subjugate the Earthlings throughout the Midwest).
We spent a weekend in mid-April practicing for the first time, and
sparks were flying! I can honestly say that I have never played with
a finer group of musicians than this, and I'm just giddy with
excitement over the possibilities. I'm also really happy to be
getting back to surf music proper after playing only Shadows covers
for the last four years (the Troubadours, BTW, will also continue).
We fully intend to make this an original band and we're already
working on three new originals with more to come soon. But for now
it's mostly covers, though not your usual covers. We'll be doing
some Space Cossacks stuff, some New World Relampagos, some rarer
first wave things and even some third wave songs by the Treble
Spankers and the Surf Coasters. Oh, and then there's that Paco de
Lucia cover! We're aiming to develop the whole North African
(Morocco, etc.) and Southern Spain (Andalucia, flamenco stuff)
connection to the surf sound - that's the MO. Still keeping the feet
firmly planted in the trad sounds, but with the eyes aimed at the
horizons, trying to peer a bit beyond. It promises to be
interesting, if nothing else!
Brian Neal has kindly put up a temporary website for us as part of
the SG101 website (Thanks Brian - you RULE!!). Go here:
It's very bare at this moment, but there are two mp3s available for
download. Both songs are covers: "Express to Bagdad" originally by
the Atlantics (from '64) and "Intruder" originally by the Surf
Coasters. The first seemed quite topical as well as effectively
showcasing the band chops, and the second is just a mind-blowing tune
that seemed like a really nice challenge - hopefully we lived up to
it! The recording is from our first practice session in a very hi-fi-
hostile environment. It was recorded in Dane's basement with bare
hard walls and the sound bouncing all over the place. In addition,
we could only record on two tracks so we had two mics for four
instruments. (Yes, that's what they call an ambient recording.) And
to top it off, we didn't really have the time to ensure the best mic
instrument balance, and as a result the rhythm guitar got buried
(fortunately Patrick set up the recording so he can't claim a
conspiracy to keep him quiet! :). But we're quite pleased by the
results, and it'll give you some idea of what this band is all
about. We hope to have a few more mp3s from the same practice
session to put up in the next few days
Finally, we would like to announce our first gig. It'll be on
Saturday, June 5th, at Zanies Too in Indianapolis, with the Volcanos
and the Troubadours (the same venue where the Troubadours played with
Destination: Earth! and the Nebulas last year). So, you'll get the
hard-driving exotic-tinged surf of the Madeira, groovy trad surf of
the near-legendary Volcanos AND the finest (well, the only) American
Shadows cover band! Consider this an invitation for people from all
over the country - we'll try to make it a memorable show and worth
your airfare or long hours on the road! I hope at least a few of you
can make it.
Thanks for reading and listening, and hope to see all of you over the
next few years.
Ivan
.
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ivan,
I downloaded Express to Bagdad, sounds great.
I'm glad you got this band going, as much as I love The Shadows (been
listening to them since I was a baby), I like surf even more, and with the
Spanish and North African influence it should be a real treat.
BTW - I got an old Les Paul knock-off that says Madeira on the headstock.
Maybe when I get it here I'll send you a pic of the headstock so you can do
something with the image, if you're interested.
Ran
----- Original Message -----
From: "ipongrac" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004 8:39 PM
Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Introducing: The Madeira!
> Hi, this is Ivan Pongracic, formerly of the Space Cossacks and
> currently of the Troubadours.
>
> I'm extremely happy to introduce my new surf band, the Madeira. The
> Madeira has Dane Carter on drums, Scott Waddell on bass, Patrick
> O'Connor on rhythm guitar, and myself on lead guitar (Scott and Dane
> have been known to show up on SG101). Dane and Scott are also in the
> Troubadours with me, and Patrick is also the lead guitar player in
> Destination: Earth! from Indianapolis (D:E! is still together and
> they'll continue to subjugate the Earthlings throughout the Midwest).
>
> We spent a weekend in mid-April practicing for the first time, and
> sparks were flying! I can honestly say that I have never played with
> a finer group of musicians than this, and I'm just giddy with
> excitement over the possibilities. I'm also really happy to be
> getting back to surf music proper after playing only Shadows covers
> for the last four years (the Troubadours, BTW, will also continue).
> We fully intend to make this an original band and we're already
> working on three new originals with more to come soon. But for now
> it's mostly covers, though not your usual covers. We'll be doing
> some Space Cossacks stuff, some New World Relampagos, some rarer
> first wave things and even some third wave songs by the Treble
> Spankers and the Surf Coasters. Oh, and then there's that Paco de
> Lucia cover! We're aiming to develop the whole North African
> (Morocco, etc.) and Southern Spain (Andalucia, flamenco stuff)
> connection to the surf sound - that's the MO. Still keeping the feet
> firmly planted in the trad sounds, but with the eyes aimed at the
> horizons, trying to peer a bit beyond. It promises to be
> interesting, if nothing else!
>
> Brian Neal has kindly put up a temporary website for us as part of
> the SG101 website (Thanks Brian - you RULE!!). Go here:
>
>
>
> It's very bare at this moment, but there are two mp3s available for
> download. Both songs are covers: "Express to Bagdad" originally by
> the Atlantics (from '64) and "Intruder" originally by the Surf
> Coasters. The first seemed quite topical as well as effectively
> showcasing the band chops, and the second is just a mind-blowing tune
> that seemed like a really nice challenge - hopefully we lived up to
> it! The recording is from our first practice session in a very hi-fi-
> hostile environment. It was recorded in Dane's basement with bare
> hard walls and the sound bouncing all over the place. In addition,
> we could only record on two tracks so we had two mics for four
> instruments. (Yes, that's what they call an ambient recording.) And
> to top it off, we didn't really have the time to ensure the best mic
> instrument balance, and as a result the rhythm guitar got buried
> (fortunately Patrick set up the recording so he can't claim a
> conspiracy to keep him quiet! :). But we're quite pleased by the
> results, and it'll give you some idea of what this band is all
> about. We hope to have a few more mp3s from the same practice
> session to put up in the next few days
>
> Finally, we would like to announce our first gig. It'll be on
> Saturday, June 5th, at Zanies Too in Indianapolis, with the Volcanos
> and the Troubadours (the same venue where the Troubadours played with
> Destination: Earth! and the Nebulas last year). So, you'll get the
> hard-driving exotic-tinged surf of the Madeira, groovy trad surf of
> the near-legendary Volcanos AND the finest (well, the only) American
> Shadows cover band! Consider this an invitation for people from all
> over the country - we'll try to make it a memorable show and worth
> your airfare or long hours on the road! I hope at least a few of you
> can make it.
>
> Thanks for reading and listening, and hope to see all of you over the
> next few years.
>
> Ivan
>
>
>
>
>
> .
> Visit for archived messages,
bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
Thanks for posting those tunes, Ivan - great stuff! As one who had
the pleasure of seeing The Troubadours and D!E in Indy last year, I
think we're going to see some fine work from this band!
Can't wait to hear more! This sort of thing will make my broken
collarbone recovery a bit easier (I busted it skimboarding on
vacation last week - in a sling for at least 3 more weeks, so no
guitar playing for while :( . . . )
Thanks again, Ivan!
-Dick
--- In , "ipongrac" <ipongrac@g...>
wrote:
> Hi, this is Ivan Pongracic, formerly of the Space Cossacks and
> currently of the Troubadours.
>
> I'm extremely happy to introduce my new surf band, the Madeira.
The
> Madeira has Dane Carter on drums, Scott Waddell on bass, Patrick
> O'Connor on rhythm guitar, and myself on lead guitar (Scott and
Dane
> have been known to show up on SG101). Dane and Scott are also in
the
> Troubadours with me, and Patrick is also the lead guitar player in
> Destination: Earth! from Indianapolis (D:E! is still together and
> they'll continue to subjugate the Earthlings throughout the
Midwest).
>
> We spent a weekend in mid-April practicing for the first time, and
> sparks were flying! I can honestly say that I have never played
with
> a finer group of musicians than this, and I'm just giddy with
> excitement over the possibilities. I'm also really happy to be
> getting back to surf music proper after playing only Shadows
covers
> for the last four years (the Troubadours, BTW, will also
continue).
> We fully intend to make this an original band and we're already
> working on three new originals with more to come soon. But for
now
> it's mostly covers, though not your usual covers. We'll be doing
> some Space Cossacks stuff, some New World Relampagos, some rarer
> first wave things and even some third wave songs by the Treble
> Spankers and the Surf Coasters. Oh, and then there's that Paco de
> Lucia cover! We're aiming to develop the whole North African
> (Morocco, etc.) and Southern Spain (Andalucia, flamenco stuff)
> connection to the surf sound - that's the MO. Still keeping the
feet
> firmly planted in the trad sounds, but with the eyes aimed at the
> horizons, trying to peer a bit beyond. It promises to be
> interesting, if nothing else!
>
> Brian Neal has kindly put up a temporary website for us as part of
> the SG101 website (Thanks Brian you RULE!!). Go here:
>
>
>
> It's very bare at this moment, but there are two mp3s available
for
> download. Both songs are covers: "Express to Bagdad" originally
by
> the Atlantics (from '64) and "Intruder" originally by the Surf
> Coasters. The first seemed quite topical as well as effectively
> showcasing the band chops, and the second is just a mind-blowing
tune
> that seemed like a really nice challenge - hopefully we lived up
to
> it! The recording is from our first practice session in a very hi-
fi-
> hostile environment. It was recorded in Dane's basement with bare
> hard walls and the sound bouncing all over the place. In
addition,
> we could only record on two tracks so we had two mics for four
> instruments. (Yes, that's what they call an ambient recording.)
And
> to top it off, we didn't really have the time to ensure the best
mic
> instrument balance, and as a result the rhythm guitar got buried
> (fortunately Patrick set up the recording so he can't claim a
> conspiracy to keep him quiet! :). But we're quite pleased by the
> results, and it'll give you some idea of what this band is all
> about. We hope to have a few more mp3s from the same practice
> session to put up in the next few days
>
> Finally, we would like to announce our first gig. It'll be on
> Saturday, June 5th, at Zanies Too in Indianapolis, with the
Volcanos
> and the Troubadours (the same venue where the Troubadours played
with
> Destination: Earth! and the Nebulas last year). So, you'll get
the
> hard-driving exotic-tinged surf of the Madeira, groovy trad surf
of
> the near-legendary Volcanos AND the finest (well, the only)
American
> Shadows cover band! Consider this an invitation for people from
all
> over the country - we'll try to make it a memorable show and worth
> your airfare or long hours on the road! I hope at least a few of
you
> can make it.
>
> Thanks for reading and listening, and hope to see all of you over
the
> next few years.
>
> Ivan
Hey Ivan,
Good to know that you are back! "Express to Bagdad" sounds great and I
can't
wait to hear your original songs. Good luck with Madeira!
Dalibor
Hi, this is Ivan Pongracic, formerly of the Space Cossacks and
currently of the Troubadours.
I'm extremely happy to introduce my new surf band, the Madeira. The
Madeira has Dane Carter on drums, Scott Waddell on bass, Patrick
O'Connor on rhythm guitar, and myself on lead guitar (Scott and Dane
have been known to show up on SG101). Dane and Scott are also in the
Troubadours with me, and Patrick is also the lead guitar player in
Destination: Earth! from Indianapolis (D:E! is still together and
they'll continue to subjugate the Earthlings throughout the Midwest).
We spent a weekend in mid-April practicing for the first time, and
sparks were flying! I can honestly say that I have never played with
a finer group of musicians than this, and I'm just giddy with
excitement over the possibilities. I'm also really happy to be
getting back to surf music proper after playing only Shadows covers
for the last four years (the Troubadours, BTW, will also continue).
We fully intend to make this an original band and we're already
working on three new originals with more to come soon. But for now
it's mostly covers, though not your usual covers. We'll be doing
some Space Cossacks stuff, some New World Relampagos, some rarer
first wave things and even some third wave songs by the Treble
Spankers and the Surf Coasters. Oh, and then there's that Paco de
Lucia cover! We're aiming to develop the whole North African
(Morocco, etc.) and Southern Spain (Andalucia, flamenco stuff)
connection to the surf sound - that's the MO. Still keeping the feet
firmly planted in the trad sounds, but with the eyes aimed at the
horizons, trying to peer a bit beyond. It promises to be
interesting, if nothing else!
Brian Neal has kindly put up a temporary website for us as part of
the SG101 website (Thanks Brian - you RULE!!). Go here:
It's very bare at this moment, but there are two mp3s available for
download. Both songs are covers: "Express to Bagdad" originally by
the Atlantics (from '64) and "Intruder" originally by the Surf
Coasters. The first seemed quite topical as well as effectively
showcasing the band chops, and the second is just a mind-blowing tune
that seemed like a really nice challenge - hopefully we lived up to
it! The recording is from our first practice session in a very hi-fi-
hostile environment. It was recorded in Dane's basement with bare
hard walls and the sound bouncing all over the place. In addition,
we could only record on two tracks so we had two mics for four
instruments. (Yes, that's what they call an ambient recording.) And
to top it off, we didn't really have the time to ensure the best mic
instrument balance, and as a result the rhythm guitar got buried
(fortunately Patrick set up the recording so he can't claim a
conspiracy to keep him quiet! :). But we're quite pleased by the
results, and it'll give you some idea of what this band is all
about. We hope to have a few more mp3s from the same practice
session to put up in the next few days
Finally, we would like to announce our first gig. It'll be on
Saturday, June 5th, at Zanies Too in Indianapolis, with the Volcanos
and the Troubadours (the same venue where the Troubadours played with
Destination: Earth! and the Nebulas last year). So, you'll get the
hard-driving exotic-tinged surf of the Madeira, groovy trad surf of
the near-legendary Volcanos AND the finest (well, the only) American
Shadows cover band! Consider this an invitation for people from all
over the country - we'll try to make it a memorable show and worth
your airfare or long hours on the road! I hope at least a few of you
can make it.
Thanks for reading and listening, and hope to see all of you over the
next few years.
Ivan
.
Visit for archived messages,
bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
Yahoo! Groups Links
__________ NOD32 1.743 (20040429) Information __________
This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
Hi Dick!
Good to hear from you, and thanks for the nice comments. I read
about your accident. No guitar playing for 3 weeks!! Ouch. I think
I'd just have them shoot me - like a horse with a broken leg. No
point in going on - I'm useless!! I hope you can cope with it a bit
better! :)
Any chance of making the June 5th gig? What the heck, make it an
annual thing! :)
Good luck with your recovery, and listen to a lot of surf music to
speed it along.
Ivan
--- In , "Dick" <rmessick2@c...> wrote:
> Thanks for posting those tunes, Ivan - great stuff! As one who had
> the pleasure of seeing The Troubadours and D!E in Indy last year, I
> think we're going to see some fine work from this band!
>
> Can't wait to hear more! This sort of thing will make my broken
> collarbone recovery a bit easier (I busted it skimboarding on
> vacation last week - in a sling for at least 3 more weeks, so no
> guitar playing for while :( . . . )
>
> Thanks again, Ivan!
>
> -Dick
>
>
> --- In , "ipongrac" <ipongrac@g...>
> wrote:
> > Hi, this is Ivan Pongracic, formerly of the Space Cossacks and
> > currently of the Troubadours.
> >
> > I'm extremely happy to introduce my new surf band, the Madeira.
> The
> > Madeira has Dane Carter on drums, Scott Waddell on bass, Patrick
> > O'Connor on rhythm guitar, and myself on lead guitar (Scott and
> Dane
> > have been known to show up on SG101). Dane and Scott are also in
> the
> > Troubadours with me, and Patrick is also the lead guitar player
in
> > Destination: Earth! from Indianapolis (D:E! is still together and
> > they'll continue to subjugate the Earthlings throughout the
> Midwest).
> >
> > We spent a weekend in mid-April practicing for the first time,
and
> > sparks were flying! I can honestly say that I have never played
> with
> > a finer group of musicians than this, and I'm just giddy with
> > excitement over the possibilities. I'm also really happy to be
> > getting back to surf music proper after playing only Shadows
> covers
> > for the last four years (the Troubadours, BTW, will also
> continue).
> > We fully intend to make this an original band and we're already
> > working on three new originals with more to come soon. But for
> now
> > it's mostly covers, though not your usual covers. We'll be doing
> > some Space Cossacks stuff, some New World Relampagos, some rarer
> > first wave things and even some third wave songs by the Treble
> > Spankers and the Surf Coasters. Oh, and then there's that Paco
de
> > Lucia cover! We're aiming to develop the whole North African
> > (Morocco, etc.) and Southern Spain (Andalucia, flamenco stuff)
> > connection to the surf sound - that's the MO. Still keeping the
> feet
> > firmly planted in the trad sounds, but with the eyes aimed at the
> > horizons, trying to peer a bit beyond. It promises to be
> > interesting, if nothing else!
> >
> > Brian Neal has kindly put up a temporary website for us as part
of
> > the SG101 website (Thanks Brian you RULE!!). Go here:
> >
> >
> >
> > It's very bare at this moment, but there are two mp3s available
> for
> > download. Both songs are covers: "Express to Bagdad" originally
> by
> > the Atlantics (from '64) and "Intruder" originally by the Surf
> > Coasters. The first seemed quite topical as well as effectively
> > showcasing the band chops, and the second is just a mind-blowing
> tune
> > that seemed like a really nice challenge - hopefully we lived up
> to
> > it! The recording is from our first practice session in a very
hi-
> fi-
> > hostile environment. It was recorded in Dane's basement with
bare
> > hard walls and the sound bouncing all over the place. In
> addition,
> > we could only record on two tracks so we had two mics for four
> > instruments. (Yes, that's what they call an ambient recording.)
> And
> > to top it off, we didn't really have the time to ensure the best
> mic
> > instrument balance, and as a result the rhythm guitar got buried
> > (fortunately Patrick set up the recording so he can't claim a
> > conspiracy to keep him quiet! :). But we're quite pleased by the
> > results, and it'll give you some idea of what this band is all
> > about. We hope to have a few more mp3s from the same practice
> > session to put up in the next few days
> >
> > Finally, we would like to announce our first gig. It'll be on
> > Saturday, June 5th, at Zanies Too in Indianapolis, with the
> Volcanos
> > and the Troubadours (the same venue where the Troubadours played
> with
> > Destination: Earth! and the Nebulas last year). So, you'll get
> the
> > hard-driving exotic-tinged surf of the Madeira, groovy trad surf
> of
> > the near-legendary Volcanos AND the finest (well, the only)
> American
> > Shadows cover band! Consider this an invitation for people from
> all
> > over the country - we'll try to make it a memorable show and
worth
> > your airfare or long hours on the road! I hope at least a few of
> you
> > can make it.
> >
> > Thanks for reading and listening, and hope to see all of you over
> the
> > next few years.
> >
> > Ivan
Hi Ran!
Thanks for the compliments. I love the Shadows, but even I was
getting a bit antsy just playing that stuff. It was time to get the
creative juices flowing again, though I love the Troubadours and hope
we can keep going for a long time. Having to play those songs has
been wonderful for my chops. Most people don't realize how difficult
it is to play Hank's lead parts precisely and properly. Well, I
often don't play them precisely or properly! But I try, and it's
been very beneficial.
Anyway, I'm familar with Madeira guitars - cheapo seventies and early
eighties knock-offs but of decent quality for the price range. I've
seen the logo, and I actually think it looks really nice! I've
defintely thought about ripping it off! If you would like to
facilitate that, that would be awesome! :) So, yes, please send a
copy of the logo, and thanks in advance.
Are you playing with anyone in SoCal yet? How are you enjoying the
Cali lifestyle? BTw, I'm insanely jealous. :)
Ivan
--- In , Ran Mosessco <burnman@n...>
wrote:
> Ivan,
> I downloaded Express to Bagdad, sounds great.
> I'm glad you got this band going, as much as I love The Shadows
(been
> listening to them since I was a baby), I like surf even more, and
with the
> Spanish and North African influence it should be a real treat.
> BTW - I got an old Les Paul knock-off that says Madeira on the
headstock.
> Maybe when I get it here I'll send you a pic of the headstock so
you can do
> something with the image, if you're interested.
>
> Ran
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "ipongrac" <ipongrac@g...>
> To: <>
> Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004 8:39 PM
> Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Introducing: The Madeira!
>
>
> > Hi, this is Ivan Pongracic, formerly of the Space Cossacks and
> > currently of the Troubadours.
> >
> > I'm extremely happy to introduce my new surf band, the Madeira.
The
> > Madeira has Dane Carter on drums, Scott Waddell on bass, Patrick
> > O'Connor on rhythm guitar, and myself on lead guitar (Scott and
Dane
> > have been known to show up on SG101). Dane and Scott are also in
the
> > Troubadours with me, and Patrick is also the lead guitar player in
> > Destination: Earth! from Indianapolis (D:E! is still together and
> > they'll continue to subjugate the Earthlings throughout the
Midwest).
> >
> > We spent a weekend in mid-April practicing for the first time, and
> > sparks were flying! I can honestly say that I have never played
with
> > a finer group of musicians than this, and I'm just giddy with
> > excitement over the possibilities. I'm also really happy to be
> > getting back to surf music proper after playing only Shadows
covers
> > for the last four years (the Troubadours, BTW, will also
continue).
> > We fully intend to make this an original band and we're already
> > working on three new originals with more to come soon. But for
now
> > it's mostly covers, though not your usual covers. We'll be doing
> > some Space Cossacks stuff, some New World Relampagos, some rarer
> > first wave things and even some third wave songs by the Treble
> > Spankers and the Surf Coasters. Oh, and then there's that Paco de
> > Lucia cover! We're aiming to develop the whole North African
> > (Morocco, etc.) and Southern Spain (Andalucia, flamenco stuff)
> > connection to the surf sound - that's the MO. Still keeping the
feet
> > firmly planted in the trad sounds, but with the eyes aimed at the
> > horizons, trying to peer a bit beyond. It promises to be
> > interesting, if nothing else!
> >
> > Brian Neal has kindly put up a temporary website for us as part of
> > the SG101 website (Thanks Brian - you RULE!!). Go here:
> >
> >
> >
> > It's very bare at this moment, but there are two mp3s available
for
> > download. Both songs are covers: "Express to Bagdad" originally
by
> > the Atlantics (from '64) and "Intruder" originally by the Surf
> > Coasters. The first seemed quite topical as well as effectively
> > showcasing the band chops, and the second is just a mind-blowing
tune
> > that seemed like a really nice challenge - hopefully we lived up
to
> > it! The recording is from our first practice session in a very
hi-fi-
> > hostile environment. It was recorded in Dane's basement with bare
> > hard walls and the sound bouncing all over the place. In
addition,
> > we could only record on two tracks so we had two mics for four
> > instruments. (Yes, that's what they call an ambient recording.)
And
> > to top it off, we didn't really have the time to ensure the best
mic
> > instrument balance, and as a result the rhythm guitar got buried
> > (fortunately Patrick set up the recording so he can't claim a
> > conspiracy to keep him quiet! :). But we're quite pleased by the
> > results, and it'll give you some idea of what this band is all
> > about. We hope to have a few more mp3s from the same practice
> > session to put up in the next few days
> >
> > Finally, we would like to announce our first gig. It'll be on
> > Saturday, June 5th, at Zanies Too in Indianapolis, with the
Volcanos
> > and the Troubadours (the same venue where the Troubadours played
with
> > Destination: Earth! and the Nebulas last year). So, you'll get
the
> > hard-driving exotic-tinged surf of the Madeira, groovy trad surf
of
> > the near-legendary Volcanos AND the finest (well, the only)
American
> > Shadows cover band! Consider this an invitation for people from
all
> > over the country - we'll try to make it a memorable show and worth
> > your airfare or long hours on the road! I hope at least a few of
you
> > can make it.
> >
> > Thanks for reading and listening, and hope to see all of you over
the
> > next few years.
> >
> > Ivan
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > .
> > Visit for archived
messages,
> bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
Ivan,
Yeah, tell me about the leads! When we played at our drummer's wedding a
year or two ago, we did "Man of Mystery". I let the other guitarist try to
figure out what Hank was doing there. He managed to do something close when
we rehearsed, but come the show...yikes, wasn't as good. Didn't help that we
were playing it probably at twice the speed, either.
When I get my shipment here I'll defintely take a pic for you. It's gonna
take a little time, but I'm sure you don't need it <right now>.
The So-Cal life style..let's see:
I was able to buy an AV Jazzmaster, I work on Hot rods part time, I meet a
lot of Surf fans and Tiki people, and spend a lot of weekends going to Surf
shows or Tiki events, or Car shows. I started playing with a new friend I
met through Reverborama, we just got a drummer and a bass player. We wrote
4-5 originals, and working on some more plus some covers. It'll take a few
months until the drummer and the bass player get a feel for Surf music, but
it's not like something I never had to deal with before (I had to give
pointers to almost every past member of The Astroglides, as no one really
knew anything about playing surf)
Well, I guess it's a "little" better than Israel (for me that is). Doesn't
hurt that the buses here don't explode (knock on wood).
Looking forward to hearing more about The Madeira,
Ran
----- Original Message -----
From: "ipongrac" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, April 30, 2004 8:17 AM
Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Re: Introducing: The Madeira!
> Hi Ran!
>
> Thanks for the compliments. I love the Shadows, but even I was
> getting a bit antsy just playing that stuff. It was time to get the
> creative juices flowing again, though I love the Troubadours and hope
> we can keep going for a long time. Having to play those songs has
> been wonderful for my chops. Most people don't realize how difficult
> it is to play Hank's lead parts precisely and properly. Well, I
> often don't play them precisely or properly! But I try, and it's
> been very beneficial.
>
> Anyway, I'm familar with Madeira guitars - cheapo seventies and early
> eighties knock-offs but of decent quality for the price range. I've
> seen the logo, and I actually think it looks really nice! I've
> defintely thought about ripping it off! If you would like to
> facilitate that, that would be awesome! :) So, yes, please send a
> copy of the logo, and thanks in advance.
>
> Are you playing with anyone in SoCal yet? How are you enjoying the
> Cali lifestyle? BTw, I'm insanely jealous. :)
>
> Ivan
>
>
> --- In , Ran Mosessco <burnman@n...>
> wrote:
> > Ivan,
> > I downloaded Express to Bagdad, sounds great.
> > I'm glad you got this band going, as much as I love The Shadows
> (been
> > listening to them since I was a baby), I like surf even more, and
> with the
> > Spanish and North African influence it should be a real treat.
> > BTW - I got an old Les Paul knock-off that says Madeira on the
> headstock.
> > Maybe when I get it here I'll send you a pic of the headstock so
> you can do
> > something with the image, if you're interested.
> >
> > Ran
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "ipongrac" <ipongrac@g...>
> > To: <>
> > Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004 8:39 PM
> > Subject: [SurfGuitar101] Introducing: The Madeira!
> >
> >
> > > Hi, this is Ivan Pongracic, formerly of the Space Cossacks and
> > > currently of the Troubadours.
> > >
> > > I'm extremely happy to introduce my new surf band, the Madeira.
> The
> > > Madeira has Dane Carter on drums, Scott Waddell on bass, Patrick
> > > O'Connor on rhythm guitar, and myself on lead guitar (Scott and
> Dane
> > > have been known to show up on SG101). Dane and Scott are also in
> the
> > > Troubadours with me, and Patrick is also the lead guitar player in
> > > Destination: Earth! from Indianapolis (D:E! is still together and
> > > they'll continue to subjugate the Earthlings throughout the
> Midwest).
> > >
> > > We spent a weekend in mid-April practicing for the first time, and
> > > sparks were flying! I can honestly say that I have never played
> with
> > > a finer group of musicians than this, and I'm just giddy with
> > > excitement over the possibilities. I'm also really happy to be
> > > getting back to surf music proper after playing only Shadows
> covers
> > > for the last four years (the Troubadours, BTW, will also
> continue).
> > > We fully intend to make this an original band and we're already
> > > working on three new originals with more to come soon. But for
> now
> > > it's mostly covers, though not your usual covers. We'll be doing
> > > some Space Cossacks stuff, some New World Relampagos, some rarer
> > > first wave things and even some third wave songs by the Treble
> > > Spankers and the Surf Coasters. Oh, and then there's that Paco de
> > > Lucia cover! We're aiming to develop the whole North African
> > > (Morocco, etc.) and Southern Spain (Andalucia, flamenco stuff)
> > > connection to the surf sound - that's the MO. Still keeping the
> feet
> > > firmly planted in the trad sounds, but with the eyes aimed at the
> > > horizons, trying to peer a bit beyond. It promises to be
> > > interesting, if nothing else!
> > >
> > > Brian Neal has kindly put up a temporary website for us as part of
> > > the SG101 website (Thanks Brian - you RULE!!). Go here:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > It's very bare at this moment, but there are two mp3s available
> for
> > > download. Both songs are covers: "Express to Bagdad" originally
> by
> > > the Atlantics (from '64) and "Intruder" originally by the Surf
> > > Coasters. The first seemed quite topical as well as effectively
> > > showcasing the band chops, and the second is just a mind-blowing
> tune
> > > that seemed like a really nice challenge - hopefully we lived up
> to
> > > it! The recording is from our first practice session in a very
> hi-fi-
> > > hostile environment. It was recorded in Dane's basement with bare
> > > hard walls and the sound bouncing all over the place. In
> addition,
> > > we could only record on two tracks so we had two mics for four
> > > instruments. (Yes, that's what they call an ambient recording.)
> And
> > > to top it off, we didn't really have the time to ensure the best
> mic
> > > instrument balance, and as a result the rhythm guitar got buried
> > > (fortunately Patrick set up the recording so he can't claim a
> > > conspiracy to keep him quiet! :). But we're quite pleased by the
> > > results, and it'll give you some idea of what this band is all
> > > about. We hope to have a few more mp3s from the same practice
> > > session to put up in the next few days
> > >
> > > Finally, we would like to announce our first gig. It'll be on
> > > Saturday, June 5th, at Zanies Too in Indianapolis, with the
> Volcanos
> > > and the Troubadours (the same venue where the Troubadours played
> with
> > > Destination: Earth! and the Nebulas last year). So, you'll get
> the
> > > hard-driving exotic-tinged surf of the Madeira, groovy trad surf
> of
> > > the near-legendary Volcanos AND the finest (well, the only)
> American
> > > Shadows cover band! Consider this an invitation for people from
> all
> > > over the country - we'll try to make it a memorable show and worth
> > > your airfare or long hours on the road! I hope at least a few of
> you
> > > can make it.
> > >
> > > Thanks for reading and listening, and hope to see all of you over
> the
> > > next few years.
> > >
> > > Ivan
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > .
> > > Visit for archived
> messages,
> > bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
> > >
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>
>
> .
> Visit for archived messages,
bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
ow.. hope you're better soon, Dick. make sure to
take care of yourself so you heal real well.
--dan
--- Dick <> wrote:
> Thanks for posting those tunes, Ivan - great stuff!
> As one who had
> the pleasure of seeing The Troubadours and D!E in
> Indy last year, I
> think we're going to see some fine work from this
> band!
>
> Can't wait to hear more! This sort of thing will
> make my broken
> collarbone recovery a bit easier (I busted it
> skimboarding on
> vacation last week - in a sling for at least 3 more
> weeks, so no
> guitar playing for while :( . . . )
>
> Thanks again, Ivan!
>
> -Dick
>
>
> --- In , "ipongrac"
> <ipongrac@g...>
> wrote:
> > Hi, this is Ivan Pongracic, formerly of the Space
> Cossacks and
> > currently of the Troubadours.
> >
> > I'm extremely happy to introduce my new surf band,
> the Madeira.
> The
> > Madeira has Dane Carter on drums, Scott Waddell on
> bass, Patrick
> > O'Connor on rhythm guitar, and myself on lead
> guitar (Scott and
> Dane
> > have been known to show up on SG101). Dane and
> Scott are also in
> the
> > Troubadours with me, and Patrick is also the lead
> guitar player in
> > Destination: Earth! from Indianapolis (D:E! is
> still together and
> > they'll continue to subjugate the Earthlings
> throughout the
> Midwest).
> >
> > We spent a weekend in mid-April practicing for the
> first time, and
> > sparks were flying! I can honestly say that I
> have never played
> with
> > a finer group of musicians than this, and I'm just
> giddy with
> > excitement over the possibilities. I'm also
> really happy to be
> > getting back to surf music proper after playing
> only Shadows
> covers
> > for the last four years (the Troubadours, BTW,
> will also
> continue).
> > We fully intend to make this an original band and
> we're already
> > working on three new originals with more to come
> soon. But for
> now
> > it's mostly covers, though not your usual covers.
> We'll be doing
> > some Space Cossacks stuff, some New World
> Relampagos, some rarer
> > first wave things and even some third wave songs
> by the Treble
> > Spankers and the Surf Coasters. Oh, and then
> there's that Paco de
> > Lucia cover! We're aiming to develop the whole
> North African
> > (Morocco, etc.) and Southern Spain (Andalucia,
> flamenco stuff)
> > connection to the surf sound - that's the MO.
> Still keeping the
> feet
> > firmly planted in the trad sounds, but with the
> eyes aimed at the
> > horizons, trying to peer a bit beyond. It
> promises to be
> > interesting, if nothing else!
> >
> > Brian Neal has kindly put up a temporary website
> for us as part of
> > the SG101 website (Thanks Brian you RULE!!). Go
> here:
> >
> >
> >
> > It's very bare at this moment, but there are two
> mp3s available
> for
> > download. Both songs are covers: "Express to
> Bagdad" originally
> by
> > the Atlantics (from '64) and "Intruder" originally
> by the Surf
> > Coasters. The first seemed quite topical as well
> as effectively
> > showcasing the band chops, and the second is just
> a mind-blowing
> tune
> > that seemed like a really nice challenge -
> hopefully we lived up
> to
> > it! The recording is from our first practice
> session in a very hi-
> fi-
> > hostile environment. It was recorded in Dane's
> basement with bare
> > hard walls and the sound bouncing all over the
> place. In
> addition,
> > we could only record on two tracks so we had two
> mics for four
> > instruments. (Yes, that's what they call an
> ambient recording.)
> And
> > to top it off, we didn't really have the time to
> ensure the best
> mic
> > instrument balance, and as a result the rhythm
> guitar got buried
> > (fortunately Patrick set up the recording so he
> can't claim a
> > conspiracy to keep him quiet! :). But we're quite
> pleased by the
> > results, and it'll give you some idea of what this
> band is all
> > about. We hope to have a few more mp3s from the
> same practice
> > session to put up in the next few days
> >
> > Finally, we would like to announce our first gig.
> It'll be on
> > Saturday, June 5th, at Zanies Too in Indianapolis,
> with the
> Volcanos
> > and the Troubadours (the same venue where the
> Troubadours played
> with
> > Destination: Earth! and the Nebulas last year).
> So, you'll get
> the
> > hard-driving exotic-tinged surf of the Madeira,
> groovy trad surf
> of
> > the near-legendary Volcanos AND the finest (well,
> the only)
> American
> > Shadows cover band! Consider this an invitation
> for people from
> all
> > over the country - we'll try to make it a
> memorable show and worth
> > your airfare or long hours on the road! I hope at
> least a few of
> you
> > can make it.
> >
> > Thanks for reading and listening, and hope to see
> all of you over
> the
> > next few years.
> >
> > Ivan
>
>
>
> ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
>
> .
> Visit
> for archived messages, bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
>
Wow...! Congratulations to The Madeira, those mp3's are fantastic! (And I
ain't just sayin' that because they're on the new website...)
My plan was to only travel once a year to see surf shows, but no, this
upcoming show in Indianapolis is going to be too great. Time to look at
flights again...
Great job guys...The Madeira has tremendous promise, The Troubadours rock,
and The Volcanos (!!!). Again, I can't say enough good things about The
Volcanos, they don't get talked about enough. They are one of my favorite
90's era bands. I'm so there...
BN
PS. Dick Messick: get well soon buddy!
