Today's Maiden diary update is care of Drew (r), my faithful and trusty engineer and side-kick! Brad looks like he's just out of bed and can't find his cherry!

The troops amass at around 12:00. Drew and Brad still feelin effects of drinkathon with Bruce. Get to work (almost) straight away on 'new song #5'. First few takes are a bit hungover. Get it down around 15:00. Time for guitar overdubs. Janick has trouble with with barmy (sic) temp in booth (put it down to El Nino). Monday over. Glass of plonk. Treadmill! Shower! Home!

I'll translate I think. After the recording session on Friday, Bruce came back to the studio lounge to work on ideas for his radio program, along with the program producer and his girlfriend (not Bruce's!). On stumbling on my assistants Drew and Brad and a case of Stella Artois, (a noble Belgian lager), they all proceeded to 'get mongrelled' and then ransacked the studio manager's office for 6 bottles of wine, which were subjected to the same sad fate! The 'party' went on ' til 4am, and the young 'uns, it seems, couldn't stand the heat and so are still struggling at the week's beginning - as was everyone else, it seemed to me, because while they all played the song correctly, there seemed to be a lack of excitement in the takes. I do understand it is a Monday morning and there is no live audience, so it's just ugly-old me there to spur them on, which I did, and so after 8 takes we got a couple of really great ones, and once again the track came out blisteringly steaming. Jan wasn't actually having trouble with the tempo, but rather with the temperature, which seemed very warm in the studio, and was probably why the early takes sounded a little lacklustre, but after we moved some fans into the booth, had a little tea break, it was back to the rocking Maiden we know and love! And after recording a few guitar overdubs and some lead vocals, Nicko opened a nice bottle of red wine, which we shared before hitting the road, to be ready for the huge epic that is waiting for us tomorrow - a veritable history lesson and story from the Great War!

We have had a running machine brought into the studio today, as Steve likes to get a workout in before having dinner, then has a quick shower and heads home. * I mixed a single for the Ether Seeds on Saturday, and sent the mix to the record company in New York - their comment '...this mix sounds fucking fantastic. This is exactly what I was looking for from the beginning. You nailed it buddy.' Nice of them to respond, it makes a real difference 'cos we're all human. Well, that's it for now. Lil' prince is sick, I better attend to him....

Caveman

For more about Kevin Shirley, check out www.cavemanproductions.com