15256/01GAZETTE & HERALD: IN took Chippenham musician Ben Slater just one day in the studio to record a moving ballad he wrote in the aftermath of Boxing Day's devastating tsunami.

The 25-year-old will be releasing the single under the auspices of his band, Iron the Cat, to raise vital cash to send to Asia.

It will be called Another Day and will be played live at the mAIDe in Asia concert, which is being supported by the Gazette and Herald at Chippenham's Olympiad Leisure Centre on Saturday night.

There will be a one minute silence, with screens showing images of the rebuilding, finishing with Mr Slater striking the first chord of the song.

"We were trying to think of a song to lead in with after the silence and Feed the World sounded a bit clichd," said Mr Slater, of Frogwell Park.

"I decided to write something and this is the result. It's basically a reflective song about how it could easily have happened to us.

"I wasn't short of things to say because of all the newspaper and TV coverage at the time, but I've tried to keep it simple.

"I'd describe it as an acoustic ballad. It's easy listening and quite melodic."

On Thursday Mr Slater, who works in Noteworthy Music in Station Hill, spent seven hours recording the single at The Riverside studio in Batheaston.

"It was really, really exciting I felt like a true pro," he said. "It was a new experience for me and I had such a good time."

Producer and studio owner Seb Pecchia donated his time, equipment and expertise to the cause and guided Mr Slater through the recording.

With just a guitar and his voice, it was described as a "no frills or spills" single.

It took three hours and 12 attempts to get the guitar work to a tee, along with a bit of tweaking from the professional.

"It takes nurturing and nurturing until you've got something you can use," said Mr Pecchia. "The thing about this is it's simple, the idea being for Ben to play it anywhere and for it not to sound too different."

And just a few hours later, it had been perfected and was ready for its first airing to the rest of Iron the Cat. "We all had a quick listen and it was wicked," said Mr Slater. "The whole thing was fantastic."