Your hair...ITS SOOOO SOFT!!!!!!

Hey S.I.Q. fans!

   This evening, Tremont music hall played host to the Gorilla battle of the bands, of which we were a part. Sadly, we did not sell the most tickets of all the bands, and ended up playing fourth from last. I'll go ahead and tell you, we did not win this one. It's completely ok though. Not a single one of us is bummed about it. We got to put on a great show for fans and non-fans alike. The set was comprised of Stasis, Nightmare Lullaby, Wash Away, and No Pockets, in that order. Nothing really went wrong to cause us to lose, we just didn't play close enough to the end, which brings me to a little something I'd like to say. One second, let me climb up on my soapbox here...

   The Way Battles SHOULD Go

1. Battles should not be judged by crowd response. After all, a crowd WILL cheer the loudest for the band they came to see, regardless of whether a band was "better" than another or not. Ultimately, these are "Battles of the Crowds," not "Battles of the Bands." Crowds should not be discounted, as they are very important to tell whether a band was enjoyable, but the tally should also include a vote from a panel of judges, each very knowledgeable about music in general, and unbiased toward any genre. Also, if a vote from the bands themselves were taken, with the restriction of not being able to vote for themselves, that might also aid in the accuracy of the result. Musicians can tell when other musicians are doing well, and can REALLY tell if they are not.

2. Battles should include fewer bands, but each band be given a longer set. Four bands, each with an hour long set, would go over much better. More fans are likely to attend if they know that their favorite band is going to be playing for an hour. Also, it cuts down on set up and tear down time, making the whole set up and soundcheck experience much more relaxed. I know from experience that when I am rushed to set up my rig, I miss something and start worrying that the electronics in my amplifier are acting up (when really the power cable for my multi-fx pedal isn't plugged in or something of that kind). Also, some people just get plain tired of continually asking "So how many bands are left until [insert favorite band here] is up?"

3. Battles, if promised to be on the big stage, SHOULD BE ON THE BIG STAGE!

4. Battles should ultimately be about encouragment of the bands BY the other bands. A band may see that another band is doing well in a battle, and might make notes on what works, be it stage presence or musical technicality.

Pretty much, I've learned that the real pleasure in battles (there is little for me) is when people who weren't even a part of your band's following come up to you and say "Dude...Where did that solo come from??" Really, battles are just ways for a band to spread their fanbase. It's just a shame that we have to all try to be "better" than other bands in order to achieve $500 cash.
   Don't get me wrong, I'm not being sore about our loss this evening. Quite frankly, even if we had won, it wouldn't have been under fair circumstances. That's just the way battles go.
   Three times this evening I had people ask permission to feel my hair. My sister Chloe generally straightens it for me for shows, which give some the irrepressible need to touch it. I honestly don't mind that much; It's simply entertaining to watch people walk around me in circles saying "Its so soft and silky!"
   As always, I also got compliments on just how pretty my 6 string looks. It really is a beauty to behold in person.
   Before I end my description of the battle, I would like to give a shout out to our friends Luna's Lament, who, albiet going on second, put on one heck of a show. They know how to rock, and I am so glad that they will be playing with us on St. Patricks day at Amos' Southend.
   So, after all the stress, I am happy to say that we will not be doing battles again for the forseeable future. Just straight shows where our fans get to see a whole S.I.Q. show instead of a 15-30 minute sample. The next one, as I just mentioned, is at Amos' Southend on March 17th. Tickets are $7 and will be available in about a week. Definitely a show you won't want to miss.
   Thanks once again to all of you, and God bless.

Cole Millward
S.I.Q. bassist

Good things (and great annoyance) come to those who wait.

Hey S.I.Q. fans!

   Been a while, no? Almost a whole month. Sorry about that.

   As some of you may have noticed, if you read directly from my blog and not Reverbnation, there are new pictures up in the slideshow. These (the professional ones) were taken a few months ago by our unofficial photographer, the wonderful Bunny Lynch. She's been doing our photoshoots for a while now. Sadly, we haven't been able to do a full band shoot recently because of conflicting schedules. The new pictures came from a shoot with just me and Ashton, with the intention of getting some individual shots.

Here are a few:

That last one was actually taken when a random dude saw us and asked what we were doing. We explained that we were part of the band S.I.Q. and were taking individual shots. He saw my bass and asked to hear one of our songs. So I played one for him! I highly doubt he actually heard anything, it being unamplified. Good thing too, because it was too cold for my fingers to move as fast as the song required.

   So props to miss Bunny Lynch for some great pictures!

   Yesterday I completed my collection of Pagan's Mind studio albums by buying the fourth album, "God's Equation". So far, I have enjoyed it immensely. They are becoming one of my absolute favorites. One of my "Big Four" in prog metal, so to speak, the other three being Dream Theater, Andromeda, and Circus Maximus. Here's a music video of Atomic Firelight, one of the songs off of "God's Equation."

I am a fan.

   There isn't much S.I.Q. news, except that this Saturday we are participating in the Gorilla productions battle of the bands at Tremont music hall near downtown Charlotte. Tickets are $10 this week (if you buy the ticket from a band member) or $12 at the door, but as a reminder to everyone under 21 who will be attending, there will be a 3 dollar cover charge. I know a lot of people (including me) have been surprised by that in the past, so I am reminding you now.

   We also have an upcoming show at Amos' Southend on St. Paddy's day. Looking for something to do that day? Come see us headline, with preceeding bands Tattermask, Luna's Lament, and Broken Pitch. Tickets for that I believe are $7.

   And as always, new music concepts are forming in our heads. Keep a lookout for new material!

Cole Millward

S.I.Q. bassist

The Miracle of Music

Hey S.I.Q. fans!

   This entry won't be quite as lengthy as some of my previous ones, but there are some things I wish to share with you.
   1. Buy tickets and come to our battle of the bands at Tremont music hall. This will be our last battle for the forseeable future. Don't miss your last chance to see us play competitively. Tickets are, as always $10.
   2. Our very own James Nelson has created a website describing the miracle and effects of music theory. I find the concept to be right on the money. Go check it out and share your own experienc. The website is somewhat of a project, and he gets credit for people who comment. http://musictherapyeffects.blogspot.com/p/psychologically-effects.html
   3. Phil, James, and I have recently been mindblown by a band called Pagan's Mind. Think Prog Metal with a touch of Power. The music is fantastic.
   And that's pretty much it for this entry. Rock on!

Cole Millward
S.I.Q. bassist

Scenes from an Intense Learning Session

Hey S.I.Q. fans!

   There is very little that has happened for the band since our last show (and my subsequent entry), but there are several things have happened for me. One, I FINALLY got around to putting new strings on my acoustic bass. It was out of comission for a long time because one of the strings in the previous set broke and acoustic bass strings are a rarity in Guitar Center. Now, it has some very bright-and-shiny new bronze strings. So now I will say with confidence that I own 4 bass guitars.
   A week ago, I drove to Rock Hill to take a lesson in bass mastery from the resident master himself, James Johnston (who also happens to be Ashton's uncle. What a connection eh?). I half expected to go in there and learn a whole bunch of new techniques to build upon what I have already learned, but ohhhh no. The start of the lesson effectively went as follows:

James: "Play this riff."
Me: (copies riff)
James: "Now play it without getting any fret buzz at all."

   It was pretty intense. He taught me how to roll my wrist while playing series of notes in order to make my playing more dynamic, and we also focused on stretching my hand so as to easily play the notes low on the neck without causing fret buzz. Ultimately, I had to unlearn some of what I knew in order to use his tips as a more solid foundation. It's all I've been working on since and I have to say it pays off. In S.I.Q.'s last practice, my playing was tighter than it ever has been. Mad props to you James.
   Soon I will be able to take some videos of myself playing for anyone who wants to watch me in action. If you happent to be a friend of me on Facebook, you may have seen the video I posted of me covering Dream Theater's Fatal Tragedy. More will come.
   Before our writing session this past Friday, Phil, James, and I went to Manifest cd warehouse in search of new music to buy and enjoy. I found the third Pagan's Mind album, "Enigmatic: Calling" (I already own the first two) as well as Dream Theater's "Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York" DVD, which I have already watched through twice and immensely enjoyed. Basically just another reason for them to be my favorite band of all time.
   And now some news on upcoming shows:
   February 26th, the Gorilla productions battle of the bands finals. Cost: $10 if you buy them from a band member, $12 at the door. Location: Tremont music hall near downtown Charlotte. Time: around 4:00 pm.
   That is the only set show we have for the moment, but, because of our successful show at Amos' at the Lake, we have been offered a headlining show at AMOS' SOUTHEND! We are extraordinarily excited for that, and will let you know all about it when planning is complete.
   And now, I am going to do some practice. Rock on!

Cole Millward
S.I.Q. bassist