JUNE 2007:
1st:
THE BOULEVARD, WIGAN. One of our favourite proper rock venues. The group played a good show, but there were problems with the on-stage sound balance, which un-nerved and put us off a little, but they were definitely resolved significantly in the second half. Thanks to Colin at The Boulevard for doing our out-front mix, which was apparently great. During the evening, the group briefly discussed which songs we are doing in the studio on Sunday of next week. We wanted to do some acoustic-based stuff for the next album, but we haven't rehearsed enough of it in that format yet. We'll have to see on the day, I guess.
2nd:
After getting in at 1.30am and and then waking up at 6.40am to drive to Salford to take his step-daughter to the airport, a totally knackered and mentally confused Ian E drove home past The Royal, Farnworth at 9am, only to find we were prominently advertised outside as playing that night. We had actually cancelled the gig during March, as three of the band had already bought tickets for a Gary Moore show in Manchester, the date of which unfortunately clashed. Ian E tried to wake up and convene the various members of BAD HABITS to cover the gig, but due to the short notice, was unable to get all of the band together. Ian got onto the venue by 10.30am and reminded them of our cancellation, which unfortunately hadn't got into their diary when we told them about it. Apologies if anyone turned up to see us. We HAD, as said, given three months notice of the cancellation. A night in was spent watching a few rather good programmes on BBC4 about New York rock. Never mind, tomorrow night sees us at GEMS, WIGAN. Hoorah.... and other such noises.
3rd:
Gems, Wigan. Great to be back playing there. A great crowd. Back later in the year.
9th:
The Hulton Arms, Bolton - Lots of people came in especially to see us. Thanks very much to all of you. Hope you enjoyed it!
10th:
Recording at FROG STUDIOS - 6 songs done for the next album. No acoustic songs, as we haven't rehearsed them that way yet. They sound ok to us!!! Thanks very much to Mark. It's always a pleasure!! We have put three of the 'newies' up on MySpace.
12th:
The jam night at The Eagle, both Ians played with The Incredibles. Yeehar!!
15th:
The group played in deepest Wales. Not a bad show.
18th:
Back to The Eagle. All of the band were in for the jam night for a change. Nice to do a few songs and get our host Tommy up to sing a couple. The Incredibles were impressive, as usual.
23rd:
Chris' party tonight. Nice to see our good friends from RentACrowd. An enjoyable evening, with very pleasant company. Thanks to everyone who came along, from Chris and Ian. The Incredibles played a great opening spot, which we all really enjoyed. A really good performance. Well done lads, you are truly stars. Lots of guests up with the Kerbcrawling types during the evening - great fun.
24th:
A far more tired than usual set of Kerbcrawlers rolled up to play a sterling Sunday night spot in Hyde. The Crown is a 'structurally interesting' venue where the band play through a solid wall to the majority of the punters. Hmmm. The alternative would be the pub falling down on our heads, so there you go! A good night was had by all.
26th:
Back again to The Eagle. All of the band were in for the jam night again. No Cuntry and Western songs tonight. A lovely set from Ted. Special guest with the group was Ken, the mighty drummist from Bad Habits. Nothing prepared us for the sheer magnificence of The Incredibles, however!
I'd just like to say a huge thanks to a few people who have offered me their love, good advice and support over the last month, which has seen untold upheaval in my personal life. It is really so much appreciated. I'm not going into the ins and outs of it all, except to say that big stuff has gone wrong which has knocked me totally sideways and a few people have really helped me to cope with things I can't even bear to think about when I couldn't have got through it otherwise.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
MAY 2007
MAY 2007:
1st: No rest for the WKD - Ian E and Colin went beer drinking (and also gig hunting) in Wigan tonight. Two new gigs at Gems, Wigan and probably a few more to be announced at a new venue in Ashton In Makerfield. We are awaiting dates from The Royal Oak, Wigan (which we have tried to get a response from a couple of times, with little or no joy) and a couple of other places. Thanks very much to BOOMIN' and those people who tipped us off about new venues.
2nd: MYSPACE MADNESS!! Colin has gone all techno on us and now has a site on MySpace here. This is in addition to our own MySpace here and Ian E's here. Meanwhile, Steve is on MySpace here. Hutch may need some help making a site (Andy?).
6th: Two of the group were pleased to be at The Guitar Show in Manchester today and to witness Howie's purchase of The Howiecaster, a formidable looking Telecaster. Steve went all weak-kneed over a Chrome Ibanez, but even more weak at the thought of spending up to three grand on a guitar. We dragged him forcibly away from it, leaving a trail of tears behind. He thanked us later.
7th: Sam's Bar: We've got more dates there on October 27th and December 22nd. We'd like to thank Ian from RentACrowd and the venue for their help with this!
14th: An eventful weekend - some special people at our show at The Fleece, on friday - great to have you there. Thanks also to the folks who made it out to see us at Sam's Bar. Some pics in the gallery from these gigs. Don't tell Col, but Ian E bought a drum machine on Saturday.
18th: The Railway, Bromley Cross. A good crowd, an odd sound on stage and Ian E had to mess around mid-gig with his Ric 4003 Blue Boy as he had re-set the bridge pickup too high, so it was overpoweringly LOUD. The secret of the Lemmy sound? Not a bad night. Nice to see some of our friends there.
19th: Our gig at The Queen's, Chorley in November has been cancelled. But never mind. We can re-fill the date easily. We are turning far far far better venues away. Thanks very much to Rent A Crowd and everyone who came along to THE CHERRY GARDENS, WIGAN, one of our all-time favourite venues. A great night with an extra-long second half because we were enjoying ourselves so much. We have now confirmed New Year's Eve at this venue. This replaces our gig there on 29/12. Brilliant!!!
23rd: The Wheatsheaf at Altrincham have just cancelled our gig there on June 16th. This wouldn't be so bad if one of the former staff hadn't originally previously rung us 4 times to confirm the date. We knew their band diary was a total fiasco and gave them a new one so they could sort it out. No such luck.
24th/ 25th: Our private bashes in Wigan went really well and we plugged our gigs next weekend at The Boulevard and at Gems.
26th: The Lord Rodney, Warrington. Space was a slight problem, as we didn't set up on the raised area as we have before. We always end up having to clear the space of some huge tables and chairs, which got one of us a twisted back a couple of occasions ago. So we set up on the floor. A reasonably good gig, but it all felt quite strange as we set up in different stage positions, having so little room to work in.
1st: No rest for the WKD - Ian E and Colin went beer drinking (and also gig hunting) in Wigan tonight. Two new gigs at Gems, Wigan and probably a few more to be announced at a new venue in Ashton In Makerfield. We are awaiting dates from The Royal Oak, Wigan (which we have tried to get a response from a couple of times, with little or no joy) and a couple of other places. Thanks very much to BOOMIN' and those people who tipped us off about new venues.
2nd: MYSPACE MADNESS!! Colin has gone all techno on us and now has a site on MySpace here. This is in addition to our own MySpace here and Ian E's here. Meanwhile, Steve is on MySpace here. Hutch may need some help making a site (Andy?).
6th: Two of the group were pleased to be at The Guitar Show in Manchester today and to witness Howie's purchase of The Howiecaster, a formidable looking Telecaster. Steve went all weak-kneed over a Chrome Ibanez, but even more weak at the thought of spending up to three grand on a guitar. We dragged him forcibly away from it, leaving a trail of tears behind. He thanked us later.
7th: Sam's Bar: We've got more dates there on October 27th and December 22nd. We'd like to thank Ian from RentACrowd and the venue for their help with this!
14th: An eventful weekend - some special people at our show at The Fleece, on friday - great to have you there. Thanks also to the folks who made it out to see us at Sam's Bar. Some pics in the gallery from these gigs. Don't tell Col, but Ian E bought a drum machine on Saturday.
18th: The Railway, Bromley Cross. A good crowd, an odd sound on stage and Ian E had to mess around mid-gig with his Ric 4003 Blue Boy as he had re-set the bridge pickup too high, so it was overpoweringly LOUD. The secret of the Lemmy sound? Not a bad night. Nice to see some of our friends there.
19th: Our gig at The Queen's, Chorley in November has been cancelled. But never mind. We can re-fill the date easily. We are turning far far far better venues away. Thanks very much to Rent A Crowd and everyone who came along to THE CHERRY GARDENS, WIGAN, one of our all-time favourite venues. A great night with an extra-long second half because we were enjoying ourselves so much. We have now confirmed New Year's Eve at this venue. This replaces our gig there on 29/12. Brilliant!!!
23rd: The Wheatsheaf at Altrincham have just cancelled our gig there on June 16th. This wouldn't be so bad if one of the former staff hadn't originally previously rung us 4 times to confirm the date. We knew their band diary was a total fiasco and gave them a new one so they could sort it out. No such luck.
24th/ 25th: Our private bashes in Wigan went really well and we plugged our gigs next weekend at The Boulevard and at Gems.
26th: The Lord Rodney, Warrington. Space was a slight problem, as we didn't set up on the raised area as we have before. We always end up having to clear the space of some huge tables and chairs, which got one of us a twisted back a couple of occasions ago. So we set up on the floor. A reasonably good gig, but it all felt quite strange as we set up in different stage positions, having so little room to work in.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO APRIL?
APRIL 2007:
1st:
We played at the Jack Daniels Soundcheck competition at The Walkabout Bar in Wigan. There were 7 bands on, all the rest mainly playing all their own material - as time went by, we worked out doing covers would possibly count against us, when it came to the judging. But we were mainly there just to get our foot in the door at the venue for bookings. Our availablity for the folowing rounds was going to be a big problem, anyway. We did 4 songs in our 20 minute spot; Are you ready, Get over it, Still got the blues and Comfortably numb. We went down very well, as we were playing songs people knew. We didn't win, but then again, we hadn't set our hearts on it. The second band on, who we thought were excellent, won. I think they were called The Count Of Monte Cristos Plums - or something like that.
We were not that pleased with what we could actually hear onstage (the onstage acoustics were particularly awful, as we were playing out of a box into a huge room with the house PA suspended far above us and the onstage monitors were inaudible, so it was hard to hear anything - which was certainly nobody's fault - though it apparently sounded great out front, thanks to the sound guys). So we aren't sure what to do about tapping the venue up for gigs - we dropped a venue in Bolton as the sound was similar onstage. It was nice to watch another 6 bands and have a band night out. Thanks to our supporters that turned up - it was nice to spend some time with you.
5th:
A weekend off looms large, except for Ian E's appearance at the Robin, Bilston near Wolverhampton, playing with Flamin' Slade. This is the same venue Slade play at when they play Wolverhampton, so it's quite big. The group's last burst of activity before the break was an appearance at the Tuesday jam night at The Eagle and Child in Ashton. Splendid performances from Howie and his confederate banditos, The Incredibles. The group play a headlining show at The Fleece, Ashton, on Friday 13th. Be there or be square.
HOWIE
Also very noteworthy were Unfinished Story who did a few songs - and despite obvious nerves (they're all in their mid teens) they did really really well. A version of Slade's 'Everyday' confirmed their good taste in music and their natural ascent to world domination is obviously only a breath away.
Easter weekend:
A ridiculous amount of time has been spent adding some new design features to the Kerbcrawlers site that most people probably won't notice. The girls under the menus have gone, and they have been replaced by group member and guitar photos. Sorry. Please come back!!! I think that the group member photos have been divided equally among the pages on the site.
TV cameras arrived on Sunday afternoon to film Flamin' Slade (who Ian E played with), at around 2.30pm. Flamin' Slade took to the stage to perform one number! (obviously that depends on the cameras getting there when they say they will, though!) Hmmmm.... no pressure.... The Flamin' Slade Robin gig itself went down very well. Thanks to all involved! Photos on Ian E's Slade site here.
Ian E will be playing with Flamin' Slade again at next year's SladeFest at the same venue (Easter Sunday 2008).
This was broadcast by BBC Central News - see VIDEO CLIP below.
1st:
We played at the Jack Daniels Soundcheck competition at The Walkabout Bar in Wigan. There were 7 bands on, all the rest mainly playing all their own material - as time went by, we worked out doing covers would possibly count against us, when it came to the judging. But we were mainly there just to get our foot in the door at the venue for bookings. Our availablity for the folowing rounds was going to be a big problem, anyway. We did 4 songs in our 20 minute spot; Are you ready, Get over it, Still got the blues and Comfortably numb. We went down very well, as we were playing songs people knew. We didn't win, but then again, we hadn't set our hearts on it. The second band on, who we thought were excellent, won. I think they were called The Count Of Monte Cristos Plums - or something like that.
We were not that pleased with what we could actually hear onstage (the onstage acoustics were particularly awful, as we were playing out of a box into a huge room with the house PA suspended far above us and the onstage monitors were inaudible, so it was hard to hear anything - which was certainly nobody's fault - though it apparently sounded great out front, thanks to the sound guys). So we aren't sure what to do about tapping the venue up for gigs - we dropped a venue in Bolton as the sound was similar onstage. It was nice to watch another 6 bands and have a band night out. Thanks to our supporters that turned up - it was nice to spend some time with you.
5th:
A weekend off looms large, except for Ian E's appearance at the Robin, Bilston near Wolverhampton, playing with Flamin' Slade. This is the same venue Slade play at when they play Wolverhampton, so it's quite big. The group's last burst of activity before the break was an appearance at the Tuesday jam night at The Eagle and Child in Ashton. Splendid performances from Howie and his confederate banditos, The Incredibles. The group play a headlining show at The Fleece, Ashton, on Friday 13th. Be there or be square.
HOWIE
Also very noteworthy were Unfinished Story who did a few songs - and despite obvious nerves (they're all in their mid teens) they did really really well. A version of Slade's 'Everyday' confirmed their good taste in music and their natural ascent to world domination is obviously only a breath away.
Easter weekend:
A ridiculous amount of time has been spent adding some new design features to the Kerbcrawlers site that most people probably won't notice. The girls under the menus have gone, and they have been replaced by group member and guitar photos. Sorry. Please come back!!! I think that the group member photos have been divided equally among the pages on the site.
TV cameras arrived on Sunday afternoon to film Flamin' Slade (who Ian E played with), at around 2.30pm. Flamin' Slade took to the stage to perform one number! (obviously that depends on the cameras getting there when they say they will, though!) Hmmmm.... no pressure.... The Flamin' Slade Robin gig itself went down very well. Thanks to all involved! Photos on Ian E's Slade site here.
Ian E will be playing with Flamin' Slade again at next year's SladeFest at the same venue (Easter Sunday 2008).
This was broadcast by BBC Central News - see VIDEO CLIP below.
Friday 13th:
Colin is a very 'rock and roll' drummer sometimes. He does typical 'rock star' things like forgetting which town he's playing in and to put all his clothes on before he goes onstage and so on. Tonight he left his drumsticks at home and had to drive back from Chorley to Golborne to pick them up. Not a happy bunny... at all. I bet he swore like a trooper all the way in both directions. We went on stage late and did one marathon-length set. At least when we got on stage tonight, the show went quite well!!
This is not so bad as the true story of Sag - the drummer with Mother's Ruin, who once happily drove all the way from Heywood to The Stag's Head, Deane, Bolton - with absolutely no drums at all in his trailer. He sped back to Heywood on the M61 and got stopped for speeding. He was a similarly unhappy drumming type bunny.
Saturday 14th:
The Waggon and Horses, Newhey. We started playing our set to wives and friends and a very cute, but bored looking dog.
You think I'm kidding, don't you?
Everyone else arrived and piled into the room we were playing in, after we'd played a couple of songs - much to our relief - a great crowd. We really enjoyed ourselves. The landlord seemed to love us. We'll be back in a bit, folks.
Tuesday 17th:
Back to the jam night for our regular sesh with Howie and his band The Incredibles. Nice guys.
We did 4 songs - any more than that and we would have been taking time away from other people who wanted to get up, which isn't fair. There are people who go to some jam nights and hog the stage, doing (quite often the same) 6 or 7 songs,plus ages discussing what they are going to play and tuning up - which they cold do beforehand. It just puts people off and makes you dread seeing them getting up.
We hadn't planned on exactly what we wanted to do - so we ended up throwing in Doctor doctor (the UFO song) which we are working on at the moment. We couldn't quite hear Ian H's guitar properly, so it didn't go as well as it could have, but never mind - it will be sorted and in the set soon.
Steve got up later and did Pink Floyd's Wish you were here on 12-string guitar and vocal, as well as Comfortably numb, where he handed the solo over to his partner in crime and Colin got up to help out with vocals. Ian and Colin played a few Beatles songs at the end and it was a nice relaxed night out.
Our rehearsal on Thursday should see Doctor Doctor (the UFO song) polished off and hopefully two other new songs ready to go.
20th:
The rehearsal last night saw us putting fiishing touches to a couple of the newer songs. One of Ian E's songs is being re-arranged by the whole group, to make it more of a group effort and that will hopefully be in the set soon.
Tonight's gig at The New Inn, Walkden was a quite good one - a good sized crowd who got involved and we did two quite long sets. A couple of songs we haven't played for a while made their way back in and Ian E fluffed up the words on 'Summer of '69' completely! But never mind, that's what truly live music is all about.. A good time was had by all. Excellent to see some friendly faces that we know, including Alan and Darren from Ian E's old band Stranded, who are re-forming but are seeking a new bassist.
21st:
The White Lion, Upholland remains one of our favourite inimate gigs (not room to swing a cat) and tonight was a nice relaxed affair - good to see Howie and some of our mates from RentACrowd. We hear that one of our chums family has been hurt in a fire - We are thinking of you and hope you are ok and that we see you soon.
Thanks very much to Ian H for 'fettling' Ian E's #1 bass (as seen above), which had been out of action for a while, due to a slight build up of crap inside the jack socket. 'Twelve years of use and it's still the best bass I've ever played.'
22nd:
The Matthew meet Mickey Appeal Show. Steve got all ubiquitous on us and did three spots - with his friend Karl and wife Chris (Acoustic and unplugged), plus he played 3 or 4 songs with Golden Touch (featuring members of his excellent former band Hunter) and finally with The Kerbcrawlers.
The day's events raised £1001.00, which is quite impressive and the performers were all very glad to help out.
24th:
Both Ians went to the jam night again. Ian E realised an ambition - to play a few songs with The Incredibles.
26th:
Steve unveiled his new PRS guitar at rehearsal. Jaw-droppingly beautiful.
29th:
This weekend consisted of two gigs, one a private function for Anthony's 18th (He got up and played a few songs with us, good lad!) and also at The Red Brick, Leigh. The set has been switched round to accomodate a few new songs and they could have been a little better on the night, so a little re-thinking and rehearsing to do, before they reappear. You only find out how new songs work by playing them live. A good night on the whole, the punters enjoyed us and the landlord was well happy.
The gig hunting for this year continues at a couple of Wigan venues later this week.
More news on that when we have it.
A bit of downtime now, while one of the group goes on holiday again. Back onstage soon.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
The Uncle Devil Show - 'A terrible beauty'
What's the point of having a blog if you don't occasionally communicate something USEFUL?
To that end - here's a review of a great album that you should all go out and buy. The Uncle Devil Show - 'A terrible beauty'.
It's a very poorly kept secret that Justin Currie (ex Del Amitri) has done a few things on the fringe while trying to get his new solo album released. Justin sings about half the songs on the album.
The group all use pseudonyms:
Langton Herring - singing, guitars, keyboards, pipe.
Jason Barr - singing, bass, guitars, keyboards, tyre.
Terence - singing, drums, percussion, model train.
It doesn't matter who sings what - everything on this album is great.
One of the best and easiest to obtain is this album. It's similar in its approach to XTC's venture as The Dukes of Stratosphear. Joyous 60's pop stylee music with an immensely catchy sense of humour.
'Leonardo's Bicycle' starts the album off - a lovely melodic period piece. A bit psychedlic, mentioning winegums and irn bru and rainbow coloured trikes. Silly, catchy and bouncy.
The second track features a Justin vocal - 'Gilbert O'Sullivan' - a homage to the 70's master of misery, describing how friends liked cooler musicians, but how he always plumped for Gilbert because he wrote 'Nothing rhymed'. Layered vocals (Justin's trademark) make this a class track.
"I was in love with Gilbert O'Sullivan
But she was hung up on Cat Stevens and Donovan
So when I had to lump for one of them
I chose Mr O'Sullivan
I was in love with Gilbert O'Sullivan
But she dug the cool jazz of Gerry Mulligan
So if I had to shoot one and fuck the other one
I'd choose Mr O'Sullivan
Gilbert O'Sullivan has everything you could need
If you've got kids to babysit or dogs to feed
And 'cos he sang "Nothing Rhymed"
He'll always be a friend of mine
I could not ever lose Gilbert O'Sullivan
But she loved the skiffle blues of Lonnie Donegan
So when it came the time to pick who I wanted then
I chose Gilbert O'Sullivan"
Priceless!
'Tambourine' is another catchy little song. Acoustic-based and featuring lovely harmonies and horns.
'Bimbo in the limo' is the demented younger brother of 'Drunk in a band' - a fantastic DA style grunge track. From the off, when the bass kicks in, you know this song is going to be mega.
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
I keep the mirrored windows down so everyone can see
I'm terminally wankered with a poodle on my knee
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
Cocaine crusted round my nostrils like a sad celebrity
I'm a worthless little nobody from digital TV
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
Hi everybody I'm your friend
Have you seen my panel game?
"Guess my arsehole", 4 a.m.
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
I've been crusing round the block all day so all my friends can see
I've got seven hookers rammed in here fucked up on Ecstacy
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
("Is it Norwich?")
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
With my pants around my knees I'm hanging way out of my tree
And everybody's looking and I know they can't believe
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
I've got Sabbath on the stereo and smut on the TV
The fridge is full of lager and I'm pissing on the seats
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
Hi everybody I'm your friend
Have you seen my panel game?
"Guess my arsehole", 4 a.m.
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
I keep the mirrored windows down so everyone can see
I'm terminally wankered with a poodle on my knee
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
Bimbo
Limo
Bimbo
Me
("Is it King Kong?")
'Plus ça change' is a beautiful, semi-melancholy song about cross dressing, delivered again by Justin.
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
The more I hide the more that the truth shows
Undone by a string of pearls
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
I stagger along on silver stilettoes
Nothing like a girl
And underneath my clothes I'm naked
And I can't fake it
The way a woman walks the way a lady talks
Plus ça change, plus ça change
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
Eyelashes on polish on my toes
But I'm still just a man
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
The powder goes on thick where the beard grows
Through like Desperate Dan
And underneath my clothes I'm naked
And I can't fake it
The way a woman walks the way a lady talks
Plus ça change, plus ça change
Sequins and hairpins and bows
The more I put on the more put on it all looks
I know
Underneath my clothes I'm naked
And I can't fake it
The way a woman walks the way a lady talks
Plus ça change, plus ça change
It is probably slightly unfair to make constant comparisons to DelAmitri, but Justin was responsible for much of their identifiable sound. DA fans won't be disappointed by this.
A cover of the Helen Reddy song 'Angie baby' is next and works really nicely.
'She cuts her own fringe' (another Justin vocal and the single from the album) is a great piece of whimsy. Another beautiful tune. Can you guess what it's about from the lyrics? You have to fall in love with this girl.
"She's in a league of her own
She wears cotton wool under her headphones
She keeps her shoes in the fridge
She says to swear at dogs is a sacriliege
And maybe I'm just a sucker for a girl
Who puts pictures of soap over the bathroom door
So she knows when to buy some more
'Cos she cuts her own fringe
And sometimes her sleeve is singed
From cooking her dinner
Dressed in her Saturday things
She cuts her own fringe
She keeps her phone in a tin
So that the ringer sounds like an alien
Taught her canary to sing "Ace of Spades"
And then to trash its cage
She's the kind of girl you would suffer for
As long as she kept making as she slept
That strange little claw
That she hooks up around her jaw
'Cos she cuts her own fringe
And sometimes her sleeve is singed
From cooking her dinner
Dressed in her Saturday things
She cuts her own fringe
And I gave her my heart
She likes it a lot
Says it's the best one she's got
She cuts her own fringe
And sometimes the cuttings cling
Onto her eyebrows and end up afloat in her drink
It's enough to send all those anonymous addicts
Back on the binge
'Cos she cuts her own fringe"
'Strange umbrella' is the closest thing here to the Dukes Of Stratosphear ethos. Very psychedelic indeed!
'Dandelion' is another beautiful Justin vocal. Nice subtle reverb on the voice too (he usually has a dry vocal). I don't usually like songs that are just word games, but this is simply gorgeous. The instrumental backing is out of this world. Even the taped effects work perfectly.
"The dandelion lied about the time
Told me it was one
But when I got there she was gone
The dandelion lied about the time
The love-me-nots must have been a cruel crop
Told me she was mine
But when I got there she was crying
The dandelion lied about the time
The nightingale was telling tales
The stars were kidding on
I thought the signs were right this time
The fuckers done me wrong
The setting sun was putting on an empty kind of show
I should have known my chance was blown
The fuckers told me so
The dandelion lied about the time
I blew and blew
When I was done well time was too
The dandelion lied about the time and she did too"
The next song up, 'Sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker' is the funniest thing I've heard in years and is a wickedly accurate Beatles paraody. Obvious steals from certain songs leap out and nag the listener. Excellent.
"They're the sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker
You'll be gone in a flicker but my toe is so much quicker
When I look at you I see the harm that you can do
All the charm you've been fakin'
While the mess your ass is makin'
Though I try to hide you must be using laser guide
I hear that you've been singing
It's your neck I should be wringing
They're the sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker
You'll be gone in a flicker but my toe is so much quicker
Time for my revenge - peanuts on my window ledge
A swift one to the pecker
With my rolled up Daily Record
And you can fly away, I'll see you again some day
And I'll be more than glad to feed you
There's some cats would love to meet you
Don't get me wrong I sure have a plan
I'll burn you in your bush before I've bird shit
In my hand, in my hand
In my hand
Sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker
You'll be gone in a flicker but my toe is so much quicker
They're the sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker
You'll be gone in a flicker but my toe is even quicker
A bird on the wing is a beautiful thing
With the exception of species who's speciality's faeces
So here's permission to land under the half brick
In my hand, in my hand"
'When Raymond comes around' is a Justin-sung song about the lcal debt collector coming to collect money owed - and other things besides. Humourously violent - a rare thing. Similar to gangster Louigi Faccotti nailing heads to the table in Monty Python.
"When Raymond comes around
We fetch the china down
'Cos Ray brings sunshine everyday
And makes the raindrops drain away
When Raymond comes around
He's got a Gucci jacket
He's got a hitlist smile
He's got a rent-book racket
Come across or lose your first born child
When Raymond comes around
We nail the table down
'Cos if it ain't a happy day
It's toast and beans the doggie way
When Raymond comes around
He's got Jimmy Cagney's swagger
But with Jimmy Saville's eyes
They say he keeps a rusty dagger
Underneath of his Versace flies
When Raymond comes around
Everybody goes to ground
Though you might have the means to pay
He still likes some the dirty way
When Raymond comes around
When Raymond comes around
He holds out his hand like a loaded gun
You shake it and make like you're scared of the cunt
When Raymond comes around
We pull the shutters down
And tie him up with skipping rope
And burn his car and slit his throat
When Raymond comes around"
'I had a drink about you last night' is a slow, building lament from someone who is aching for someone else and drinks to numb the pain. Shared vocals. Beautiful descending bass and strings set the mood. Gorgeous.
"I may be ten foot tall
As brave as all the Tigers in Bengal
My shoulders broad and wide
And seen from space with just the naked eye
I'm calling Superman
To tell him Lois looks like Genghis Khan
I'm fearless through and through
I'll even take a dip in Barrymore's pool
I've never lost a fight
But today I just might
Don't hold me close to the light
I had a drink about you last night
So now I'm running scared
A long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs
I tip-toe round the pain
'Til wood on fur sends splinters to my brain
I've never lost a fight
But today I just might
Don't hold me close to the light
I had a drink about you last night
I had a drink and you swam into my vision
My Babycham and brandy was boiling up
And fizzing with the truth
I had a drink for two
But somebody was missing
'Cos raising up the dead is something
Superman can't do
I've never lost a fight
But today I just might
Don't hold me close to the light
I had a drink about you last night"
I love this record. Recommended.
Amazon.co.uk link to buy.
The amazon.co.uk review reveals more about who the Uncle Devil Show were:
"Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie releases his first album outside of his chart topping Mercury Records group this autumn under the moniker of "The Uncle Devil Show". Justin whose hits with Del Amitri included "Roll To Me" which went Top 10 in the Billboard’s Hot 100 and sold 160,000 copies has formed the concept band with cult Scottish singer-songwriter Kevin McDermott and Simple Minds/Silencers drummer Jim McDermott, having spent 18 months creating an album he considers his best to date. Justin, who uses the pseudonym Jason Barr with The Uncle Devil Show, and whose other hits includes the Top 40 single "Kiss This Thing Goodbye" created the group after growing tired of wet Wednesday rock and corporate designer angst. This is a beautiful record, it's stunning melodies, left-field observation and effortless arrangements never let it dip under the extremely high bar it sets for itself from the off. You are never left in any doubt that these guys are privy to what's under pop's great Corvette bonnet."
To that end - here's a review of a great album that you should all go out and buy. The Uncle Devil Show - 'A terrible beauty'.
It's a very poorly kept secret that Justin Currie (ex Del Amitri) has done a few things on the fringe while trying to get his new solo album released. Justin sings about half the songs on the album.
The group all use pseudonyms:
Langton Herring - singing, guitars, keyboards, pipe.
Jason Barr - singing, bass, guitars, keyboards, tyre.
Terence - singing, drums, percussion, model train.
It doesn't matter who sings what - everything on this album is great.
One of the best and easiest to obtain is this album. It's similar in its approach to XTC's venture as The Dukes of Stratosphear. Joyous 60's pop stylee music with an immensely catchy sense of humour.
'Leonardo's Bicycle' starts the album off - a lovely melodic period piece. A bit psychedlic, mentioning winegums and irn bru and rainbow coloured trikes. Silly, catchy and bouncy.
The second track features a Justin vocal - 'Gilbert O'Sullivan' - a homage to the 70's master of misery, describing how friends liked cooler musicians, but how he always plumped for Gilbert because he wrote 'Nothing rhymed'. Layered vocals (Justin's trademark) make this a class track.
"I was in love with Gilbert O'Sullivan
But she was hung up on Cat Stevens and Donovan
So when I had to lump for one of them
I chose Mr O'Sullivan
I was in love with Gilbert O'Sullivan
But she dug the cool jazz of Gerry Mulligan
So if I had to shoot one and fuck the other one
I'd choose Mr O'Sullivan
Gilbert O'Sullivan has everything you could need
If you've got kids to babysit or dogs to feed
And 'cos he sang "Nothing Rhymed"
He'll always be a friend of mine
I could not ever lose Gilbert O'Sullivan
But she loved the skiffle blues of Lonnie Donegan
So when it came the time to pick who I wanted then
I chose Gilbert O'Sullivan"
Priceless!
'Tambourine' is another catchy little song. Acoustic-based and featuring lovely harmonies and horns.
'Bimbo in the limo' is the demented younger brother of 'Drunk in a band' - a fantastic DA style grunge track. From the off, when the bass kicks in, you know this song is going to be mega.
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
I keep the mirrored windows down so everyone can see
I'm terminally wankered with a poodle on my knee
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
Cocaine crusted round my nostrils like a sad celebrity
I'm a worthless little nobody from digital TV
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
Hi everybody I'm your friend
Have you seen my panel game?
"Guess my arsehole", 4 a.m.
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
I've been crusing round the block all day so all my friends can see
I've got seven hookers rammed in here fucked up on Ecstacy
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
("Is it Norwich?")
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
With my pants around my knees I'm hanging way out of my tree
And everybody's looking and I know they can't believe
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
I've got Sabbath on the stereo and smut on the TV
The fridge is full of lager and I'm pissing on the seats
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
Hi everybody I'm your friend
Have you seen my panel game?
"Guess my arsehole", 4 a.m.
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
I keep the mirrored windows down so everyone can see
I'm terminally wankered with a poodle on my knee
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
Bimbo
Limo
Bimbo
Me
("Is it King Kong?")
'Plus ça change' is a beautiful, semi-melancholy song about cross dressing, delivered again by Justin.
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
The more I hide the more that the truth shows
Undone by a string of pearls
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
I stagger along on silver stilettoes
Nothing like a girl
And underneath my clothes I'm naked
And I can't fake it
The way a woman walks the way a lady talks
Plus ça change, plus ça change
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
Eyelashes on polish on my toes
But I'm still just a man
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
The powder goes on thick where the beard grows
Through like Desperate Dan
And underneath my clothes I'm naked
And I can't fake it
The way a woman walks the way a lady talks
Plus ça change, plus ça change
Sequins and hairpins and bows
The more I put on the more put on it all looks
I know
Underneath my clothes I'm naked
And I can't fake it
The way a woman walks the way a lady talks
Plus ça change, plus ça change
It is probably slightly unfair to make constant comparisons to DelAmitri, but Justin was responsible for much of their identifiable sound. DA fans won't be disappointed by this.
A cover of the Helen Reddy song 'Angie baby' is next and works really nicely.
'She cuts her own fringe' (another Justin vocal and the single from the album) is a great piece of whimsy. Another beautiful tune. Can you guess what it's about from the lyrics? You have to fall in love with this girl.
"She's in a league of her own
She wears cotton wool under her headphones
She keeps her shoes in the fridge
She says to swear at dogs is a sacriliege
And maybe I'm just a sucker for a girl
Who puts pictures of soap over the bathroom door
So she knows when to buy some more
'Cos she cuts her own fringe
And sometimes her sleeve is singed
From cooking her dinner
Dressed in her Saturday things
She cuts her own fringe
She keeps her phone in a tin
So that the ringer sounds like an alien
Taught her canary to sing "Ace of Spades"
And then to trash its cage
She's the kind of girl you would suffer for
As long as she kept making as she slept
That strange little claw
That she hooks up around her jaw
'Cos she cuts her own fringe
And sometimes her sleeve is singed
From cooking her dinner
Dressed in her Saturday things
She cuts her own fringe
And I gave her my heart
She likes it a lot
Says it's the best one she's got
She cuts her own fringe
And sometimes the cuttings cling
Onto her eyebrows and end up afloat in her drink
It's enough to send all those anonymous addicts
Back on the binge
'Cos she cuts her own fringe"
'Strange umbrella' is the closest thing here to the Dukes Of Stratosphear ethos. Very psychedelic indeed!
'Dandelion' is another beautiful Justin vocal. Nice subtle reverb on the voice too (he usually has a dry vocal). I don't usually like songs that are just word games, but this is simply gorgeous. The instrumental backing is out of this world. Even the taped effects work perfectly.
"The dandelion lied about the time
Told me it was one
But when I got there she was gone
The dandelion lied about the time
The love-me-nots must have been a cruel crop
Told me she was mine
But when I got there she was crying
The dandelion lied about the time
The nightingale was telling tales
The stars were kidding on
I thought the signs were right this time
The fuckers done me wrong
The setting sun was putting on an empty kind of show
I should have known my chance was blown
The fuckers told me so
The dandelion lied about the time
I blew and blew
When I was done well time was too
The dandelion lied about the time and she did too"
The next song up, 'Sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker' is the funniest thing I've heard in years and is a wickedly accurate Beatles paraody. Obvious steals from certain songs leap out and nag the listener. Excellent.
"They're the sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker
You'll be gone in a flicker but my toe is so much quicker
When I look at you I see the harm that you can do
All the charm you've been fakin'
While the mess your ass is makin'
Though I try to hide you must be using laser guide
I hear that you've been singing
It's your neck I should be wringing
They're the sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker
You'll be gone in a flicker but my toe is so much quicker
Time for my revenge - peanuts on my window ledge
A swift one to the pecker
With my rolled up Daily Record
And you can fly away, I'll see you again some day
And I'll be more than glad to feed you
There's some cats would love to meet you
Don't get me wrong I sure have a plan
I'll burn you in your bush before I've bird shit
In my hand, in my hand
In my hand
Sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker
You'll be gone in a flicker but my toe is so much quicker
They're the sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker
You'll be gone in a flicker but my toe is even quicker
A bird on the wing is a beautiful thing
With the exception of species who's speciality's faeces
So here's permission to land under the half brick
In my hand, in my hand"
'When Raymond comes around' is a Justin-sung song about the lcal debt collector coming to collect money owed - and other things besides. Humourously violent - a rare thing. Similar to gangster Louigi Faccotti nailing heads to the table in Monty Python.
"When Raymond comes around
We fetch the china down
'Cos Ray brings sunshine everyday
And makes the raindrops drain away
When Raymond comes around
He's got a Gucci jacket
He's got a hitlist smile
He's got a rent-book racket
Come across or lose your first born child
When Raymond comes around
We nail the table down
'Cos if it ain't a happy day
It's toast and beans the doggie way
When Raymond comes around
He's got Jimmy Cagney's swagger
But with Jimmy Saville's eyes
They say he keeps a rusty dagger
Underneath of his Versace flies
When Raymond comes around
Everybody goes to ground
Though you might have the means to pay
He still likes some the dirty way
When Raymond comes around
When Raymond comes around
He holds out his hand like a loaded gun
You shake it and make like you're scared of the cunt
When Raymond comes around
We pull the shutters down
And tie him up with skipping rope
And burn his car and slit his throat
When Raymond comes around"
'I had a drink about you last night' is a slow, building lament from someone who is aching for someone else and drinks to numb the pain. Shared vocals. Beautiful descending bass and strings set the mood. Gorgeous.
"I may be ten foot tall
As brave as all the Tigers in Bengal
My shoulders broad and wide
And seen from space with just the naked eye
I'm calling Superman
To tell him Lois looks like Genghis Khan
I'm fearless through and through
I'll even take a dip in Barrymore's pool
I've never lost a fight
But today I just might
Don't hold me close to the light
I had a drink about you last night
So now I'm running scared
A long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs
I tip-toe round the pain
'Til wood on fur sends splinters to my brain
I've never lost a fight
But today I just might
Don't hold me close to the light
I had a drink about you last night
I had a drink and you swam into my vision
My Babycham and brandy was boiling up
And fizzing with the truth
I had a drink for two
But somebody was missing
'Cos raising up the dead is something
Superman can't do
I've never lost a fight
But today I just might
Don't hold me close to the light
I had a drink about you last night"
I love this record. Recommended.
Amazon.co.uk link to buy.
The amazon.co.uk review reveals more about who the Uncle Devil Show were:
"Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie releases his first album outside of his chart topping Mercury Records group this autumn under the moniker of "The Uncle Devil Show". Justin whose hits with Del Amitri included "Roll To Me" which went Top 10 in the Billboard’s Hot 100 and sold 160,000 copies has formed the concept band with cult Scottish singer-songwriter Kevin McDermott and Simple Minds/Silencers drummer Jim McDermott, having spent 18 months creating an album he considers his best to date. Justin, who uses the pseudonym Jason Barr with The Uncle Devil Show, and whose other hits includes the Top 40 single "Kiss This Thing Goodbye" created the group after growing tired of wet Wednesday rock and corporate designer angst. This is a beautiful record, it's stunning melodies, left-field observation and effortless arrangements never let it dip under the extremely high bar it sets for itself from the off. You are never left in any doubt that these guys are privy to what's under pop's great Corvette bonnet."
Friday, April 13, 2007
Sunday, April 1, 2007
March 2007
MARCH 2007:
1st:
The group will now not be playing the remaining three shows that we had lined up at the Bike and Hound, Hyde. Sincere apologies to anyone who may be disappointed by this and also to Amanda, the lovely landlady there, who the group all think is excellent.
2nd:
We arrived at The Boulevard, Wigan to find the layout of the room much improved from how it was before (and it was very good then). Excellent work by the venue to make it even better!!! Tonight was the first of our 'album release' shows. We played all of the songs from the first album in order in the first set and did the same with the new album in the second set. At the end, we threw in a new song for the first time - Turning Japanese, which was originally made famous by The Vapors. We have a couple more new songs lined up to add into the set, after just a little more tweaking. We have also agreed on a couple more songs written by members of the group which will find their way into the set soon.
3rd:
The Royal, Farnworth. A mix up over bookings with a group last week left the punters uncertain if there was going to be a band on there this week and we certainly suffered a low turnout as a result. A shame, because we played a good show and went down really well with those who were there. Thanks very much to our drum roadie Andy for taking photos and also for joining us onstage to play guitar instead of Steve during Sultans of Swing. He didn't play a single bum note. Excellent!!!!
7th:
We have confirmed an afternoon show on SUNDAY APRIL 22nd at St Judes Catholic Club, Poolstock Lane, Worsley Mesnes, Wigan map. This is a fundraiser for the Matthew Appeal for Matthew Titterington who is a little boy currently in hospital undergoing treatment for leukaemia. There will be a small door charge with all the money raised being donated to send him on holiday once he has completed his treatment. ALL OF YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO ATTEND THIS SHOW!!!!!
8th:
A group rehearsal last night. A couple of new songs to add into the set and 'road test'. Possibly going in at the Lord Rodney. We have a couple more new ones to be working on, which will brighten up the set and surprise a few people.
9th:
The Lord Rodney show.
If anyone is thinking of playing there, don't leave your car outside while you load up (think about the impossibility of that for a moment) or you will get parking tickets like 3 of us did.
The show itself was ok, but we could have done without paying £30.00 each to park for about 12 minutes while we got our gear inside. We will - of course - appeal.
Despite being in bad moods because of the Traffic Gestapos nasty tricks, the show itself was reasonably ok. Col was particularly distracted by what had just happened and was well thrown when we dropped Turning Japanese into the set and lost it completely - we did a sort of short 'radio edit' version of the song. Hmmm. Still good, though.
Thanks to our nice audience, but not to the Cheshire Traffic fuzz.
If you look at the details on this ticket (vehicle reg no details blanked out) it's not even completed fully. So there probably isn't actually an offence to answer.
10th:
What we intend to be our last club gig for some time. A good listening audience, but they were more inclined to stay on their bums than on the dance floor. A bit frustrating when our second spot was deliberately very 'dancey'. Andy made a guest appearance on guitar with us again - in front of a very large audience. He's got some bottle, that lad has!
11th:
Someone actually rang today trying to get hold of The Roadrunners for a bikers gig later this year. They were most put out to find that it can't / won't happen anymore and were prepared to go to a 'very good price indeed' to get the band as a one-off. They would only take The Roadrunners, as it's going to be a big reunion of some sort. Ah well.... these things are sent to try us. If someone wants to use the name and get £500, they need to be a three piece band with two fairly recognisable bald blokes and a supply of incredible volume. That sent me about making a copy of the Roadrunners at Heywood DVD for someone I'd promised a copy to. Some while ago.... oops! Well, it's on it's way now. Intriguing camera work, etc! Ian got all nostalgic watching it.
18th:
A couple of things......
Our gig on Friday at The Fleece, Ashton was just a bit of a success. Thanks very much to the half of Ashton that appeared to pack the pub. We dropped in about 6 new songs and are back there again in May. A slight accident has meant that we are having to call off next weekend's gig at The Avenue, Wigan. The person concerned should be ok for our next gig.
A new look for the website. Hope you like it. Thanks very much to Rachel from Bigger Designs for the help. Keep an eye on new band Unfinished Story , who are in the process of putting demos together at the moment.
20th:
The band went to the jam night at the Eagle and Child, Ashton (every Tuesday, folks!!) and did 5 of our new songs. A nice evening - some of the other people that get up are really talented!
For those of you who wish to look at more of the delightful young lady in the strappy dress, whose photo so beautifully decorates the left margin of some pages of our website - gigs for example - (and perhaps also to start writing proposing marriage) - a quick Google search found her image here. The Google search was for 'girl in the dark'. I haven't looked at the rest of the site.
23rd:
Group rehearsal night again.... two more new songs put together.
28th:
Last night, the group (minus the ailing Colin) went to the jam night at the Eagle and Child in Ashton to gaze lovingly at Howie's band The Incredibles. We played with Cozy on the drums (thank you) and did laid back versions of a number of songs, which inspires us with new evil plans for the next CD. I believe that the pub singer was castrated on the car park afterwards.
29th:
The group has entered for a national battle of the bands style competition and the first heat is at The Walkabout Bar, King St, Wigan this coming Sunday evening. If you can make it, please come down and make some clapping noises between our songs. The event starts at 7pm.
We have a revised setlist for the April and May shows.
30th:
Our last gig of the month was at The Hulton Arms, Bolton and there was an excellent big crowd in - so we had a ball after our rest last weekend and the crowd seemed to love it too. Thanks to everyone for coming and to Andy and Amy for roadieing for us. Tomorrow (Sunday) is the competition in Wigan if anyone can make it.
1st:
The group will now not be playing the remaining three shows that we had lined up at the Bike and Hound, Hyde. Sincere apologies to anyone who may be disappointed by this and also to Amanda, the lovely landlady there, who the group all think is excellent.
2nd:
We arrived at The Boulevard, Wigan to find the layout of the room much improved from how it was before (and it was very good then). Excellent work by the venue to make it even better!!! Tonight was the first of our 'album release' shows. We played all of the songs from the first album in order in the first set and did the same with the new album in the second set. At the end, we threw in a new song for the first time - Turning Japanese, which was originally made famous by The Vapors. We have a couple more new songs lined up to add into the set, after just a little more tweaking. We have also agreed on a couple more songs written by members of the group which will find their way into the set soon.
3rd:
The Royal, Farnworth. A mix up over bookings with a group last week left the punters uncertain if there was going to be a band on there this week and we certainly suffered a low turnout as a result. A shame, because we played a good show and went down really well with those who were there. Thanks very much to our drum roadie Andy for taking photos and also for joining us onstage to play guitar instead of Steve during Sultans of Swing. He didn't play a single bum note. Excellent!!!!
7th:
We have confirmed an afternoon show on SUNDAY APRIL 22nd at St Judes Catholic Club, Poolstock Lane, Worsley Mesnes, Wigan map. This is a fundraiser for the Matthew Appeal for Matthew Titterington who is a little boy currently in hospital undergoing treatment for leukaemia. There will be a small door charge with all the money raised being donated to send him on holiday once he has completed his treatment. ALL OF YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO ATTEND THIS SHOW!!!!!
8th:
A group rehearsal last night. A couple of new songs to add into the set and 'road test'. Possibly going in at the Lord Rodney. We have a couple more new ones to be working on, which will brighten up the set and surprise a few people.
9th:
The Lord Rodney show.
If anyone is thinking of playing there, don't leave your car outside while you load up (think about the impossibility of that for a moment) or you will get parking tickets like 3 of us did.
The show itself was ok, but we could have done without paying £30.00 each to park for about 12 minutes while we got our gear inside. We will - of course - appeal.
Despite being in bad moods because of the Traffic Gestapos nasty tricks, the show itself was reasonably ok. Col was particularly distracted by what had just happened and was well thrown when we dropped Turning Japanese into the set and lost it completely - we did a sort of short 'radio edit' version of the song. Hmmm. Still good, though.
Thanks to our nice audience, but not to the Cheshire Traffic fuzz.
If you look at the details on this ticket (vehicle reg no details blanked out) it's not even completed fully. So there probably isn't actually an offence to answer.
10th:
What we intend to be our last club gig for some time. A good listening audience, but they were more inclined to stay on their bums than on the dance floor. A bit frustrating when our second spot was deliberately very 'dancey'. Andy made a guest appearance on guitar with us again - in front of a very large audience. He's got some bottle, that lad has!
11th:
Someone actually rang today trying to get hold of The Roadrunners for a bikers gig later this year. They were most put out to find that it can't / won't happen anymore and were prepared to go to a 'very good price indeed' to get the band as a one-off. They would only take The Roadrunners, as it's going to be a big reunion of some sort. Ah well.... these things are sent to try us. If someone wants to use the name and get £500, they need to be a three piece band with two fairly recognisable bald blokes and a supply of incredible volume. That sent me about making a copy of the Roadrunners at Heywood DVD for someone I'd promised a copy to. Some while ago.... oops! Well, it's on it's way now. Intriguing camera work, etc! Ian got all nostalgic watching it.
18th:
A couple of things......
Our gig on Friday at The Fleece, Ashton was just a bit of a success. Thanks very much to the half of Ashton that appeared to pack the pub. We dropped in about 6 new songs and are back there again in May. A slight accident has meant that we are having to call off next weekend's gig at The Avenue, Wigan. The person concerned should be ok for our next gig.
A new look for the website. Hope you like it. Thanks very much to Rachel from Bigger Designs for the help. Keep an eye on new band Unfinished Story , who are in the process of putting demos together at the moment.
20th:
The band went to the jam night at the Eagle and Child, Ashton (every Tuesday, folks!!) and did 5 of our new songs. A nice evening - some of the other people that get up are really talented!
For those of you who wish to look at more of the delightful young lady in the strappy dress, whose photo so beautifully decorates the left margin of some pages of our website - gigs for example - (and perhaps also to start writing proposing marriage) - a quick Google search found her image here. The Google search was for 'girl in the dark'. I haven't looked at the rest of the site.
23rd:
Group rehearsal night again.... two more new songs put together.
28th:
Last night, the group (minus the ailing Colin) went to the jam night at the Eagle and Child in Ashton to gaze lovingly at Howie's band The Incredibles. We played with Cozy on the drums (thank you) and did laid back versions of a number of songs, which inspires us with new evil plans for the next CD. I believe that the pub singer was castrated on the car park afterwards.
29th:
The group has entered for a national battle of the bands style competition and the first heat is at The Walkabout Bar, King St, Wigan this coming Sunday evening. If you can make it, please come down and make some clapping noises between our songs. The event starts at 7pm.
We have a revised setlist for the April and May shows.
30th:
Our last gig of the month was at The Hulton Arms, Bolton and there was an excellent big crowd in - so we had a ball after our rest last weekend and the crowd seemed to love it too. Thanks to everyone for coming and to Andy and Amy for roadieing for us. Tomorrow (Sunday) is the competition in Wigan if anyone can make it.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
FEBRUARY 2007
FEBRUARY 2007:
1st: H has just arranged a show at The Fleece, Ashton-In-Makerfield in March. A new venue for us and just down the road for 3 of the band!!
2nd: The Bike and Hound, Hyde. Apart from a snag when there was a power loss on stage, which caused us to have to stop at the beginning of the first set and reload a couple of drum sounds into Col's electronic kit, the band played a fairly sparkling show. No matter how well we played on the night, a couple of people there just seemed to love to try to get the whole place joining in heckling us, so we didn't really try to talk to them (they just interrupted and heckled us if we did), so we just got on with playing songs and encouraged them to boo us as much as we could at the end, just so as to accomodate them. We have 72 gigs booked this year (so far) and we know that we will go down really well at the other 68 of them.
3rd: After yesterday's show in Hyde, we seriously needed something to happen to cheer us up. We were the first band to play at The Royal, Farnworth, since they have only just started having bands back on. Tonight we just concentrated on playing a really good set and having the crack with the audience, seeing as we were allowed to.. No snags, no glitches, just a damn good show. We played a rare rendition of 'Tie your mother down' as a request. Back again at the start of March. Thanks to Kelly for having us. They are looking for more bands, if other bands are reading this.
5th: We have found a really good new venue in The Railway, Accrington, which we played at last night. We are in the process of sorting out a string of new dates there for the rest of the year as I type. A local bike club was very interested in having us on the night too - all good stuff. We have some dates free and others are coming available again.....
Some bad news has come in about our gigs lined up at The Old Cock, Stretford: "Ian, I've just received your email. I left the company back in January due to the fact it went bankrupt in December. I did leave a list of all of the acts due to play there with the licencee for him to contact you all. Looks like no-one has been in touch. Very sorry to let you know so late. The pub has now been sold I believe but I don't know when it will be re-opening. The new owners might be looking for live acts as well so you might be better off just keeping an eye out for when it opens again. Good luck with the band for the future, Regards, Michael " Thanks to Michael for getting back in touch. Much appreciated. He was really very enthusiastic about getting bands on there. It's a shame it hasn't worked out.
TWO OF THE SONGS FROM THE NEW CD (OUT IN MARCH) ARE NOW UP ON OUR MYSPACE SITE. HOPE YOU LIKE THEM. The Kerbcrawlers' MySpace site
11th: This past weekend saw the band lurching back into full rock and roll activity mode after a week of lying down and feeling rough. That's why there have been no diary entries. Ian H was losing his voice, as was Ian E and Steve. Col was floating along in just about 'ok mode' again having been near death's door not that long ago. Friday saw us at The Railway, Bromley Cross where we played a stomping gig. Thanks to the people we were talking to who braved the snow just to see us. It's very much appreciated!!!
Saturday saw us at The Red Brick, Leigh, where we went down a storm again. Our first show there apart from turning up at their jam night - it is on Thursdays by the way, try to get there if you can. Great crowd. Thank you.
Two nights on the trot of everything going just right after some of last weekend's shenanighans was just what was required to restore the old confidence! Next week should be interesting as the doctors will be doing something to one of Colin's knees. We have known about this for a while. All shoud be well. Don't panic!
13th: Drummer Update: Today has involved the use of crutches, but Colin is confident that he'll be ok for Saturday and Sunday.
18th: Last night we played at Sam's Bar, Appley Bridge. A nice part of the world and miles from anywhere. Appley Bridge is where our good mates from RentACrowd live and for a change, we went to see them, rather than them coming out to see us. It was nice to be there. Colin is still hobbling round on one crutch at the moment, but should be back to what passes as normal for a drummer soon. A good time was had by all and we all had a good laugh at mistakes we made during a couple of songs (for example; Ian E was desperately trying to hold back a massive sneeze during Don't believe a word and completely lost touch with the chorus bassline to the song - Oh you didn't spot it? Well, it didn't happen then!!). Ian from RENT A CROWD sent in some photos (Thanks very much). Please see the gallery! We will be back in Appley Bridge in May and again in October.
We expect to have some more Wigan area dates on the site in the next week or so. We are just about full up for bookings for the year now. There is just a tiny amount of chopping and changing to be done.
We played at The Crown, Hyde tonight. it's probably the smallest venue we do and has a good intimate atmosphere. We played a cracking set again. Thanks very much to Andy for helping Col out by setting his drums up for him this weekend, while he has been somewhat incapacitated.
25th: A spot of car trouble meant Ian E was late getting to the show at the Cherry Gardens (not late enough to delay the start, but enough to make setting up very rushed). The band played a top form set and returned 'School's out' back to the setlist. While Ian's throat has been struggling, it has been left out. The high vocals on the bridge (no more pencils.... ) are the main problem and Ian's voice went again on that bit ! A quick coughing fit later, the singing continued! A great night was had by all, we think.... and we are back there soon.
Thanks to everyone who came along - much appreciated!! Colin and Ian went round Wigan mid-week to do a spot of gig hunting, so we hope to have some more news on that front soon. We are trying to get a couple of new songs together for next weekend. As well as that, there may be a band outing on Wednesday to watch Howie's band, The Incredibles at The Fleece, Ashton.
1st: H has just arranged a show at The Fleece, Ashton-In-Makerfield in March. A new venue for us and just down the road for 3 of the band!!
2nd: The Bike and Hound, Hyde. Apart from a snag when there was a power loss on stage, which caused us to have to stop at the beginning of the first set and reload a couple of drum sounds into Col's electronic kit, the band played a fairly sparkling show. No matter how well we played on the night, a couple of people there just seemed to love to try to get the whole place joining in heckling us, so we didn't really try to talk to them (they just interrupted and heckled us if we did), so we just got on with playing songs and encouraged them to boo us as much as we could at the end, just so as to accomodate them. We have 72 gigs booked this year (so far) and we know that we will go down really well at the other 68 of them.
3rd: After yesterday's show in Hyde, we seriously needed something to happen to cheer us up. We were the first band to play at The Royal, Farnworth, since they have only just started having bands back on. Tonight we just concentrated on playing a really good set and having the crack with the audience, seeing as we were allowed to.. No snags, no glitches, just a damn good show. We played a rare rendition of 'Tie your mother down' as a request. Back again at the start of March. Thanks to Kelly for having us. They are looking for more bands, if other bands are reading this.
5th: We have found a really good new venue in The Railway, Accrington, which we played at last night. We are in the process of sorting out a string of new dates there for the rest of the year as I type. A local bike club was very interested in having us on the night too - all good stuff. We have some dates free and others are coming available again.....
Some bad news has come in about our gigs lined up at The Old Cock, Stretford: "Ian, I've just received your email. I left the company back in January due to the fact it went bankrupt in December. I did leave a list of all of the acts due to play there with the licencee for him to contact you all. Looks like no-one has been in touch. Very sorry to let you know so late. The pub has now been sold I believe but I don't know when it will be re-opening. The new owners might be looking for live acts as well so you might be better off just keeping an eye out for when it opens again. Good luck with the band for the future, Regards, Michael " Thanks to Michael for getting back in touch. Much appreciated. He was really very enthusiastic about getting bands on there. It's a shame it hasn't worked out.
TWO OF THE SONGS FROM THE NEW CD (OUT IN MARCH) ARE NOW UP ON OUR MYSPACE SITE. HOPE YOU LIKE THEM. The Kerbcrawlers' MySpace site
11th: This past weekend saw the band lurching back into full rock and roll activity mode after a week of lying down and feeling rough. That's why there have been no diary entries. Ian H was losing his voice, as was Ian E and Steve. Col was floating along in just about 'ok mode' again having been near death's door not that long ago. Friday saw us at The Railway, Bromley Cross where we played a stomping gig. Thanks to the people we were talking to who braved the snow just to see us. It's very much appreciated!!!
Saturday saw us at The Red Brick, Leigh, where we went down a storm again. Our first show there apart from turning up at their jam night - it is on Thursdays by the way, try to get there if you can. Great crowd. Thank you.
Two nights on the trot of everything going just right after some of last weekend's shenanighans was just what was required to restore the old confidence! Next week should be interesting as the doctors will be doing something to one of Colin's knees. We have known about this for a while. All shoud be well. Don't panic!
13th: Drummer Update: Today has involved the use of crutches, but Colin is confident that he'll be ok for Saturday and Sunday.
18th: Last night we played at Sam's Bar, Appley Bridge. A nice part of the world and miles from anywhere. Appley Bridge is where our good mates from RentACrowd live and for a change, we went to see them, rather than them coming out to see us. It was nice to be there. Colin is still hobbling round on one crutch at the moment, but should be back to what passes as normal for a drummer soon. A good time was had by all and we all had a good laugh at mistakes we made during a couple of songs (for example; Ian E was desperately trying to hold back a massive sneeze during Don't believe a word and completely lost touch with the chorus bassline to the song - Oh you didn't spot it? Well, it didn't happen then!!). Ian from RENT A CROWD sent in some photos (Thanks very much). Please see the gallery! We will be back in Appley Bridge in May and again in October.
We expect to have some more Wigan area dates on the site in the next week or so. We are just about full up for bookings for the year now. There is just a tiny amount of chopping and changing to be done.
We played at The Crown, Hyde tonight. it's probably the smallest venue we do and has a good intimate atmosphere. We played a cracking set again. Thanks very much to Andy for helping Col out by setting his drums up for him this weekend, while he has been somewhat incapacitated.
25th: A spot of car trouble meant Ian E was late getting to the show at the Cherry Gardens (not late enough to delay the start, but enough to make setting up very rushed). The band played a top form set and returned 'School's out' back to the setlist. While Ian's throat has been struggling, it has been left out. The high vocals on the bridge (no more pencils.... ) are the main problem and Ian's voice went again on that bit ! A quick coughing fit later, the singing continued! A great night was had by all, we think.... and we are back there soon.
Thanks to everyone who came along - much appreciated!! Colin and Ian went round Wigan mid-week to do a spot of gig hunting, so we hope to have some more news on that front soon. We are trying to get a couple of new songs together for next weekend. As well as that, there may be a band outing on Wednesday to watch Howie's band, The Incredibles at The Fleece, Ashton.
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