The wizards return to present an unprecedented mix of Eastern and Western culture and cuisine.
how could this possibly be improved?
They out cool bands with uncool names, clarify once and for all Chorizo Garbanzo’s role on the podcast, and mostly refrain from being (too) unpleasant to listeners. It’s all good. There’s even a hashtag to follow (#SelfIsolatingBandTshirts) and some guidance on the pronunciation of difficult words.
You can hear all that and 10 (TEN) top notch tunes right here, or if you’d rather, down there:
Turn away now if you don’t want to know what’s coming up. Otherwise, here’s what we played:
“The Panglossian Momentum” by Thousand Yard Stare is released next week.
It’s been 27 years since their last album, now that’s a difficult third album!
In fairness, Thousand Yard Stare weren’t actually a going concern for 22 of those years but they reformed in 2015 for what was initially a one-off gig at the much-missed Borderline. They did a Q&A with us around that time. Since then I have since seen them play twice in Manchester and reflected on the experience in my usual clumsy yet heartfelt manner:
“Got to admit that before going to The Deaf Institute gig last year, I did have a few doubts.
Were my memories of Thousand Yard Stare gigs the first time around recalled through the rose-tinted prism of youth?
Was it just wistful nostalgia for my lost youth?
After all, nobody else I knew seemed to remember them with the same enthusiasm that I did.
Was it possible that I just got caught up in the general excitement of the times and in actual fact, Thousand Yard Stare were *gasp* not all that good?
That Manchester gig last year kicked my stupid doubts up the arse and this gig gave them a further kick in the bollocks to go with it.
Thousand Yard Stare were and are fucking brilliant.”
You betcha.
Anyway Stephen and Giles from the band were kind enough to answer a few of my questions about the new album which you can buy at thousandyardstare.co.uk.
So the first question has got to be the album title, what does it mean? (I feel like there should be a “man” at the end of that. What does it all mean, man? said in Dennis Hopper Apocalypse Now voice)
Stephen: Ha, yeh, a bit obtuse and pretentious isn’t it? Though it sounds like it might be a taken from a long lost spy thriller novel or a far flung philosophy, it’s just a made up phrase. I was looking for something that captured the overall themes of the album, around how we tend to face our challenges in life with mix of naive optimism and a stiff upper lip. We can’t always have the best of all worlds, but we should always try to find solutions, and we don’t have to do it alone. Deep stuff, eh? I got the idea after re-reading Voltaire’s classic tale Candide, which rings as true today as ever in these strange times. I’ve always been a wordy type as you well know.
Are the songs on the album all new or did you have any unfinished songs from the first time around?
Stephen: Everything is new. It was written as an album, the first time we have had the chance to do that. The LPs in the 90’s were a collection of available songs (Hands On / Fair To Middling) or fractured and unfinished (Mappamundi) so here we had the chance here to make an album with that format in mind, and it’s designed to be listened to in one go. In a way, it feels like our first.
Was it always the intention to write & record new songs?
Stephen: Yes, it was. Well, not initially, not before that first fateful re-union show in 2015. Think we all genuinely felt that would be a one-off, but it was such an incredible and emotional evening, we felt we should carry on, and of course, we have! We didn’t want to be a nostalgia-only band, it’s important to freshen up the pot, and new songs build a bridge between the then and the now. You have to exist in the time you are in, and new material does that. We’re very proud of the music we’ve been making since 2015, some of our best work. They seem to go down well too, and everyone has been very positive about them. It has been great to assimilate some into our live sets, they sit well with the original tracks, and add a new energy. There’s no point being in a band if you aren’t engaging creatively. There was unfinished business..and now we’re finishing it.
We’ve previously discussed how Stephen’s love of vocabulary comes across in your lyrics. Are there any words you’re particularly pleased about including on the new album?
Stephen: Spandrels is – lyrically – the best song I’ve ever written. It’s also very personal to me, but hopefully written in a beguiling and metaphorical way that others can relate to it in their own way.
I’m happy with all the lyrics to be honest, feel it’s some of my best. Previously, I’ve been mainly observational, this time there’s a lot internal monologues, ones I think many of us have.
Oh, I do like the ‘clarion to carry on’ line in Precious Pressures, love the positive sentiment of that.
I had to look up the meaning of the word “spandrels” Can you explain that one for our readers?
Spandrels are decorative parts of a structure or a living thing that have no apparent intrinsic use or role to play beyond their visual stimulus. It was inspired by The Spandrels Of St Marco. It’s a song about being part of something, but not feeling valued or able to influence things.. Trying to get noticed, or acknowledged by someone. I’m sure we’ve all been there in some capacity or other. The analogy and imagery gave me great scope lyrically.
Any other favourite bits of your own playing on the album?
Giles: I really like the guitars on Schism. A lot of them don’t sound like guitars. Always fun. I’m really into Cresta. It’s unlike anything we’ve done and has a very irregular structure. I went to town overdubbing harpsichord and other things. I think I started it thinking I’d do something quite obtuse and proggy. I sent it to Stephen never expecting him to take it on and I’m floored with what he did with a really quite strange bit of music.
Many bands post-reformation albums struggle to live up to their previous work. Exceptions to every rule of course, e.g. last year’s Specials album & the Magazine one a few years ago. Do you have any other favourite examples?
Stephen: Ride’s two reformation albums are in my opinion, their best ever records, especially the new one This is Not a Safe Place where Errol Alkan on production has created an incredible atmosphere. I’m still good friends with Mark Gardener, so really pleased for them. Other than that, my work in promotions and as a music industry lecturer means I’m mainly focused on new artists than those from back in the day, plenty there to keep me occupied.
Giles: There was a new Kitchens of Distinction album a few years ago that I like a lot. I was always incredibly impressed with their guitar sounds and arrangements and that’s still there. House of Love continue to put out great stuff and Swervedriver still make a beautiful noise. Do LCD Soundsystem count? That was amazing given the pressure he must have felt.
What has been the best thing about the gigs you’ve played since you reformed?
Stephen: We were always a live act, first and foremost. It’s where we come alive. Being able to interact with other people who care, be part of that communal atmosphere. But mainly being on a stage again with the people I grew up with in this journey, and feeling blessed we have had a chance to do it again.. for a while at least. Playing gigs is why bands exist.
Giles: Yeah much as six hours in a van is harder these days, all gigs are special. And being part of what is a little community means a lot to me. I still always think how lucky I am when I’m on stage playing songs we wrote to people having a good time. Such a privilege.
At a Beak> gig I went to last year they said that the audience looked like a “boiled egg convention” Apart from the hairlines of your audience, how else has playing live changed in the intervening years?
Stephen: Ha! I love BEAK, and living as I do now in Bristol, they are part of the cultural fabric here. Geoff is a great guy, love his honesty and forthright, no nonsense approach and he’s a phenomenal drummer. The London shows we’ve done each year have been wild. The Weatherwatchers go more crazy now than they did back in the day! I’m always worried that someone is going to do themselves some damage, but whilst it goes a bit over the top sometimes, everyone looks after each other. From the band side, we’re calmer internally, but still have an energy on stage, our sound and style demands it. We are all better at our crafts now, and that adds to the enjoyment.
You recently had The TYS Cup running on your Facebook page.
Stephen: The idea was to create a Cup style knockout competition, pitting different TYS tracks against each other. People could vote for their favourite and the winner would go through to the next round. Thought it would fizzle out quite quickly, but people were engaging with the idea (someone even set up a Buttermouth supporters club!) and got out of hand. Ended up doing match reports and team nicknames and everything. Ultimately, just a bit of fun. Lots of people said it was great to go back and listen to some of the tracks they’d forgotten again, so that was good.
Were you surprised by any of the results? (When it first started I was convinced eventual runner-up Buttermouth would win.)
Not really, went pretty much ’to form’. The ’singles’ and other tracks we’ve been playing regularly live were always going to be the strongest. Was good to see some outliers like What’s Your Level (reached the semi final!) and newer ones like It Sparks! mix it with the big boys.
We expected No Score to win and it did. It was the final that most wanted against Buttermouth… although there was some ‘crowd trouble’ when Wideshire got knocked out!
Any news on the launch gig that was planned for 30th May?
It has now been re-scheduled to October 10th. We will celebrate this occasion by hook or crook! Seeing the album pre-orders coming in it’s been heartening to know people are interested in new stuff from us. And we’ve taken the plunge on making it on vinyl, and it looks amazing. Pre-order one before they go, it’s not getting a repress and they’re going fast!
No other live dates currently planned. It’s hard for us to get together as we live all over the UK and have different commitments. Never say never, though.
Any particular recommendations for “keeping it alive” during lockdown?
Stephen: To be honest, I’m still very busy, so not had time to kill so to speak. That said, I tune into the weekly live streams from my local record store Friendly Records, all vinyl goodness with different people, you never know what you might get. Went on some funk jazz wig out last week!
My good friend Carl’s new band The Shop Window have just released their debut single, a slice of back the day jangle pop goodness.
Giles: Similar here. I’m flat out working online and studying. I like Devs. Fun with philosophy. My friend Fruitful Soundsystem is putting some nice sets out on Facebook and Mixcloud to get you through the day. Eclectic all vinyl sets.
Despite finding it difficult to get out of bed, the wizards are back and, at least in part, fully dressed.
it’s not just us wizards
In this show, there are a number of firsts: Hindustani electronica? Check. Angry musical exchanges? Check. Complete dismissal of factual listener input? Check. Lengthy apologies to said fact-checking listeners? Check.
You can hear all that and 10 (TEN) top notch tunes right here, or if you’d rather, down there:
Turn away now if you don’t want to know what’s coming up. Otherwise, here’s what we played:
Pete And The Pirates – Knots
Watty Burnett – Open The Gate
Schizo Fun Addict – In This Station
Frobisher – 1 Day At A Time
Diet Cig – Blob Zombie
Savage Cut – Andy From Finance
Lata Ramasar – The Greatest Name That Lives
James Brown – Stormy Monday
Robert Pollard – Love Is Stronger Than Witchcraft
Marc Ribot & Tom Waits – Bella Ciao
The physicality:
dav
dav
Here’s the version of Bella Ciao from Money Heist for you to compare and contrast should you so wish:
There really is very little else to do of a weekend, so hot on the heels of his recent attempt to pander to the masses, here’s our Kicker’s latest round up of some of the songs he’s been listening to recently (and a while back). You might find something you like.*
The Playlist: Hands at Self-Destruction
For anyone (you know who you are) who can’t, or won’t, access Spotify, this is the playlist in words:
Bo Diddley – Congo
Graham Day & The Gaolers – I’m Not The Only One
Soft Cell – Memorabilia
Those Pretty Wrongs – Lucky Guy
Rick Rude – Stromboli
The Apartments – Mr. Somewhere
Working Men’s Club – Teeth
Sean O’Hagan (feat. Cathal Coughlan) – McCardle Brown
Van Morrison – Rough God Goes Riding
Canshaker Pi – Nest
Ki Ki Page – Big Boy
The Microphones – Compressor
Joseph Arthur – The Ballad Of Boogie Christ
Deadly Avenger – The Mysterions
Hugh Mundell – Jacqueline
R.E.M. – Life And How To Live It
Bobbie Gentry – Mississippi Delta
Babybird – October
The Aisler Set – Been Hiding
Wimple Winch – Save My Soul
Boston Spaceships – Ate It Twice
Kate Tempest – All Humans Too Late
Billordo – No Quise Angustiarte
As always, we would urge you to seek out the songs you like and buy the physicality to support the artists.
*Blue Öyster Cult fans might be disappointed this time.
Now that they have time to listen to box sets, the wizards set out to scour the world for music that even John Peel wouldn’t play (from the safety of their own homes, natch).
This show not only offer the usual cornucopia of musical delights, but also features the now regular lucky dip sections (with numerical significance), the insight of their German correspondent, and, by popular demand (he says), Kicker’s Kooking Korner. Yes, that’s right. It even has its own jingle.
not a fucking pizza
You can download here or listen to the whole thing below
Turn away now if you don’t want to know what’s coming up. Otherwise, here’s what we played:
10,000 Maniacs – Hello In There
They Must Be Russians – Don’t Try To Cure Yourself
Carton – Sanguine
Bo & Bodo – Funky
Ted Hawkins – My Last Goodbye
Kris Drever – Yellow Fly
Ivor Cutler – Dad’s Lapse
Jim Atkins – I’m A Ding Dong Daddy
Jenny Mae – One We Kiss
The Congos – La La Bam Bam
Guided By Voices – Chicken Blows
The physicality
dav
mde
And here’s that GbV box from Get Happy!! Records that Kicker mentions.
All this stopping in has not only brought about a rebirth of a much more regular Trust The Wizards podcast [We’ve only had one – Accuracy Ed.], but has also had our Kicker glued to his turntable more than ever.
Inspired in no small way by the social media DJ sets by friend of the pod, and member of the Kyle Sowashes, DJ Kyle Sowash, here’s Kicker’s attempt at an audience friendly eclectic mix. You’re welcome.*
The Playlist: In Trials of Lately
As always, we would urge you to seek out the songs you like and buy the physicality to support the artists.
Today’s is the 60th birthday of David Lewis Gedge, one of the most consistently excellent songwriters this nation has ever produced.
To celebrate this milestone, I’ve compiled an alphabetical list of my 60 favourite songs he’s written for The Wedding Present and Cinerama.
Totting up the totals shows most recent album “Going Going…” and long-established favourite “Seamonsters” have the most songs with 7 each. Next after that comes the massively under-appreciated Cinerama album “Disco Volante” with 6, followed by “Take Fountain” and “Valentina” with 5 each.
Interspersed through the list are a few crowd videos from various gigs I’ve been to over the years. If you know where to look you can see me bouncing around in a few of them!
Some of my Wedding Present CD collection
Apres Ski (Disco Volante, 2000)
Bear (Going Going…, 2016)
Bells (Going Going…, 2016)
Bewitched (Bizarro, 1989)
Boing! (The Hit Parade single, August 1992)
Boo Boo (El Rey, 2008)
Broken Bow (Going Going…, 2016)
Careless (Torino, 2002)
Click Click (Watusi, 1994)
Come Play With Me (The Hit Parade single, May 1992)
Corduroy (Seamonsters, 1991)
Crawl (3 Songs EP, 1990)
Dalliance (Seamonsters, 1991)
Dare (Seamonsters, 1991)
Deer Caught In The Headlights (Valentina, 2012 & 2015)
Don’t Talk Just Kiss (Brassneck single, 1990)
End Credits (Valentina, 2012 & 2015)
Fifty Six (Going Going…, 2016)
Flying Saucer (The Hit Parade single, July 1992)
Gazebo (Watusi, 1994)
Hard Fast & Beautiful (Va Va Voom, 1998)
Heather (Seamonsters, 1991)
Heels (Disco Volante, 2000)
I Lost The Monkey (El Rey, 2008)
I’m Not Always So Stupid (Nobody’s Twisting Your Arm single, 1988)
Interstate 5 (Take Fountain, 2005)
It’s For You (Take Fountain, 2005)
Kansas (Saturnalia, 1996)
Little Silver (Going Going…, 2016)
Lovenest (Seamonsters, 1991)
Mars Sparkle Down On Me (Take Fountain, 2005)
A Million Miles (George Best, 1987)
Montreal (Saturnalia, 1996)
My Favourite Dress (George Best, 1987)
Mystery Date (Valentina, 2012 & 2015)
Niagara (Dalliance single, 1991)
No (Bizarro, 1989)
Nobody’s Twisting Your Arm (single, 1988)
Nothing Comes Easy (Nobody’s Twisting Your Arm single, 1988)
Once More (Tommy, 1988)
Perfect Blue (Take Fountain, 2005)
Rachel (Going Going…, 2016)
Ringway To Seatac (Take Fountain, 2005)
Rotterdam (Seamonsters, 1991)
Shatner (George Best, 1987)
Silver Shorts (The Hit Parade single, April 1992)
Sly Curl (Lollobrigida single, 2000)
Spangle (Watusi, 1994)
Sports Car (Mini, 1996)
Stop Thief! (Valentina, 2012 & 2015)
Superman (Disco Volante, 2000)
Take Me (Bizarro, 1989)
This Boy Can Wait (Tommy, 1988)
Two Bridges (Going Going…, 2016)
What Have I Said Now? (Bizarro, 1989)
Wow (Disco Volante, 2000)
Your Charms (Disco Volante, 2000)
You’re Dead (Valentina, 2012 & 2015)
Your Time Starts Now (Disco Volante, 2000)
You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends (Tommy, 1988)
An appropriate one to end with because it was the first Wedding Present song I ever heard and David very kindly dedicated that song to me & my mates Rich, Mike and Simon at the Sheffield Leadmill gig in 2018.
There’s a Spotify playlist below but if you like the music please buy it. They have an excellent online shop which is closed at the moment but visit it when it re-opens and support the band.
You may notice that the playlist actually includes 61 songs. That’s because the “Valentina” was recorded by The Wedding Present and re-recorded by Cinerama. I can’t decide which version of “Stop Thief!” is my favourite so I included both.
Whilst you’re here, take a look at some of the many other Wedding Present related articles on this website:
Yorkshire super heroes have a new album “Seaside Donkeys” coming out soon. I spoke to Colin and Andy from Percy about it.
Have a listen to this while you’re reading.
Where did you record the album and who else was involved?
Andy: It was recorded at Crooked Room studios in York in Nov 2019. We took time looking at studios as we wanted somewhere with good facilities and reputation. Isaac Minnis is head honcho at Crooked Room and has helped get young bands The Howl and The Hum and Avalanche Party get on the map in 2018 and 2019. It was fitted out like being in someone’s front room with table lamps and an old piano. Sound was really good in the room and we recorded all live but at a modest volume so there was no need for heavy separation. Voice, violin and acoustic guitars were all overdubbed. All members of the band had an input in production agreeing form and sound template but I was probably ‘executive producer’ as I did the initial reference mixes for Isaac and sifted the versions. Isaac did the final mix and master.
Were the songs written & rehearsed before you went into the studio?
Colin: The tracks have a varied history, to be honest. “Big Lils” dates from Summer 2018 but was too late for the last album “Sleepers Wake.” We also recorded another track from the same period called “Unicorns” (Brexit related) which didn’t make the final track listing. The other tracks were written throughout 2019, some of which we’d dropped from the live set but were resurrected to give the album more balance. “Rubbernecking” and “Will of the People” were introduced in the Autumn of last year and went down a storm, whereas “Seaside Donkeys” and “Better Life” were recorded before they had a live outing, and before the lyrics were completed. The recording of “The People Who Drank themselves to Death” is a live rehearsal idea from early 2019 I’d forgotten about and is actually the first time we’d ever played it. I overdubbed vocals over the top later. We haven’t played it again since.
Where did you get the photos for the album artwork?
Andy: Paula Duck (synths) is also a professional photographer and has done many documentary projects in the past. The intention was to catch the the inherent bleak loneliness of the seaside in winter (most of the shots were taken on Boxing Day). Also the sense of the coast being ‘left behind’ by history / prosperity and the irony of the locals thinking that Brexit was the answer.
The title track has a great singalong chorus but the verses seem to tell an altogether more unhappy story. The topic of alcohol abuse comes up in several songs doesn’t it.
Colin: We’d originally booked the studio to record a handful of disparate tracks as a “work in progress.” However once we’d heard that Vinyl Eddie were keen to bring out an album with us, I focused on having a set of songs that had a common theme. In this case my upbringing in Sunderland, the drinking culture, Brexit and how the people had voted for it out of sheer desperation in order to try and improve things.
“Seaside Donkey” is Sunderland slang for an alcoholic (alky – plonky – seaside donkey) usually shortened to “Seaside” and the song refers to alcoholism that’s passed on through generations. It was written as a sort of pastiche of an Irish drinking song. “The People Who Drank Themselves To Death” is an observation of groups of blokes who I’ve seen slowly deteriorate due to the drink. I visit Sunderland pretty regularly as my family still live there and the sight of someone in the grip of really heavy drinking is miserable to behold. It’s probably why we’ve never played the song live as the subject matter is too difficult and close to home.
“Little Trouble in Big Lils “is an amazing song. Somehow accidentally ending up in a dodgy boozer is a feeling we all recognise, can’t believe more songs haven’t been written about this before! Is Big Lils a real place?
Colin: Big Lils was a pub on the Headrow in Leeds, that I used to walk past every day on my work in the 90s. It had a reputation as being the biggest cesspit on earth and made the General Eliot (another Leeds rough house) look tame in comparison. It certainly did have mock saloon-style swinging doors, with sticky carpets dotted with fag burns and the whole place stank of shit. I went there only once, on the back end of works night out with another lad “for a dare” and it 100% matched its reputation. I was propositioned by a Barbara Cartland lookalike in her 60s, which didn’t make the final lyric – perhaps I missed a trick there. The place itself was closed down about 20 years ago and is now the site of Headrow House, which sells a variety of cocktails in a comfortable setting.
Some great lines and another catchy chorus on the ode to credit cards Carpe Diem.
Colin: It’s based on a true story of someone I used to work with – he would book tables at Gordon Ramsay restaurants, fly to exotic locations, buy suits to measure etc. all on credit. He was a “bon vivant” who took advantage of the early 2000s credit card boom with no intention of paying them back. He was another one, sadly who let the booze get the better of him and he did actually end up writing porn for a living before dying in his sleep whilst living at his Mum’s house. The reference to the bejewelled tortoise is taken from JK Huysman’s book “Against Nature” which plots the life of a similar character.
On “Will Of The People” I like how each time you get to the title of the song you sound more deranged than the last. Very fitting. especially considering the kind of people who like to use this phrase.
Colin: It could have been called “Take Back Control” or “Leave Means Leave” or any other of the meaningless, vacuous nonsense churned out at the time.
Have you had any backlash when playing that one live?
Colin: Our audience tends to be of the Guardian persuasion so it’s had a sympathetic hearing up to now. I certainly haven’t been cornered by any angry Brexiters wanting to discuss the benefits of trading on WTO terms (probably because there aren’t any)
Andy: By the way there is a truly amazing animated video for that song which will come out in May. Let’s say Boris plays a big role in it.
There’s some excellent use of road names in “Rubbernecking In The UK.” Can I have your favourite motorways and A roads please?
Colin: The title’s based on “Anarchy in the UK”, with anarchy substituted for slowing down on a motorway to gawp at some nearby twisted metal carnage. I later discovered that “Rubberneckin'” is actually the title of an Elvis song but The King doesn’t namedrop the A19 in his lyrics which is my personal favourite A road when travelling to Sunderland. I’m also particularly fond of the M62 going East towards Hull, it feels like you’re heading for the edge of the world where you suddenly drop off a cliff “Thelma and Louise” style.
Go motoring on the A19. Possibly approaching the Billy Mill roundabout?
Talking of The King, you mention “Elvis at the NBC” on “Back In The Swing.” If Elvis was still around today which of your songs would you like him to cover and which era of Elvis?
Colin: He would be great at doing “Love Song” from the album. I deliberately did it in the style of a crooner, specifically Carl Puttnam of Cud but I could see Vegas Elvis doing a much better job.
You couldn’t have known this when you recorded it but Back in the Swing seems to me to be the perfect song for the lockdown (or maybe for when it’s over?) Lots of lyrics about wasting time on internet, being lonely, pondering mortality, “wasting time, not really doing anything.”
The opening line though: “I’ve been spending far too long playing online pool.”
Wait a minute, you can play pool online? That sounds GREAT! Where and how please?
Colin: There’s a game called 8 Ball Pool” on the site miniclip.com which you can play on your phone. It’s great and I’m spending far too much time on it. The line “Getting thrashed on Red Hot Pawn” refers to a chess site as opposed to wanking material.
I’ll take your word for that because I’m certainly not going to Google it.
If you could magic yourself into any band past or present who would you choose and why?
Andy: Spiders from Mars (I’ve got the right accent coming from Hull and all that) . I once bought a guitar off Trevor Bolder but had no idea who he was when i was age 15.
Colin: I once dreamt I was in The Fall and it was fucking awful! I’d have loved to have been in the backing band for Sparks at the time of “Kimono My House” – Ron Mael at rehearsals saying “OK I’ve got this idea for a song called This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us, it goes like this.”
If you could magically recruit any other musician alive or dead and add them to the existing Percy lineup who would you choose and why?
Colin: I can’t play lead guitar for toffee so would love to have some atonal axe licks going on above my chugging, Thurston Moore would be nice.
You had some gigs planned around the album release in April / May. Any idea what’s happening with those?
Andy: It is too early to say really. One small festival has been re-scheduled. The summer has been dead for gigs in the past but maybe this tear will be different??
Where can people buy the album?
Andy: The singles are digital releases but the album is initially coming out only on vinyl with a download code through Vinyl Eddie https://www.vinyleddie.co.uk
They are a small shop in York selling second hand Vinyl and obsessed with the ‘concept’ of the vinyl release. For a couple of years they have been getting new vinyl manufactured for local bands and distributing online and to other independent record stores. They have enjoyed us live and we were lucky to bump into them with the full album demo before Xmas. They were keen to have the product out for RSD 2020 which would have been 18th April. They are in lock down at the mo as a shop so you can also buy it here.
We may bring the album out on a full digital release in later Summer but want the vinyl album to be the way people encounter the ‘work’ with the music and the full colour sleeve insert so it is a full sound and vision package.
Any particular recommendations for keeping yourself entertained during lockdown? My recommendation for you is the live broadcast every day at www.facebook.com/stevenieveofficial
Andy: I seem to spend all my time planning the next shopping trip and waiting for the point when it seems reasonable to start drinking. Bad I know…
Colin: I saw Elvis Costello’s lockdown video on Youtube the other day and he referred to Steve Nieve’s broadcast, I’ll have to check it out. I’m still busy doing the day job from my PC at home, interspersed with upgrading my Legendary Pool Cue for £4.99 and failing to spot checkmate in 3 moves.
You’re in a caff ordering breakfast. You can have toast and your choice of tea or coffee. Then you’re allowed 4 more items. What do you choose?
Andy: Bacon Butty and 3 more cups of coffee…
Colin: Fried egg, bacon, beans and hash browns.
Lastly the controversial question that we ask everyone we interview…..
Cricket. Is it any good or is it just bollocks?
Andy: Bollocks. Sorry
Colin: I love cricket just behind football, at the weekend I was listening to the replay of the Headingley test match from last year and was jumping around like a lunatic even though I already knew what was going to happen at the end. A bit like having sex.
Well, it took a pandemic to force the wizards back to recording a semi-regular podcast, but here they are social distancing and babbling on like pigs in shit.
There’s the usual weak opening gag and selection of cracking tunes interspersed with tales of blocking musician’s paths to the stage, recommended reading, and 2 (TWO) new features that take you into the record collection of Kicker and one of Chorizo’s boxes.
open the goddamn box!!
You can hear the whole thing below
Turn away now if you don’t want to know what’s coming up. Otherwise, here’s what we played:
Guided By Voices – Isolation Drills
Scott & Charlene’s Wedding – Salt In Your Hair
Kitchen Cynics – Janet’s Gift
Eels – My Descent Into Madness
Vic Godard & The Subway Sect – Born To Be A Rebel
Afrosound – Maria Isabel
Guided By Voices – The Pipe Dreams Of Instant Prince Whippet
Ariel Sharratt & Mathias Kom – Never Work
The Orb – Slave Till U Die No Matter What U Buy
Elvis Costello – Hurry Down Doomsday (The Bugs Are Taking Over)
The physicality
top row
box 10 – honest
qrf
mde
Here’s a link to the wonderful TV show hosted by The Burning Hell that Chorizo mentions:
Steve Nieve at Liverpool Olympia 28th February 2020
Elvis Costello at Liverpool Olympia 28th February 2020
One month ago I went to see Elvis Costello & The Imposters at the Liverpool Olympia. This was the 29th time I’ve seen Elvis and at some point I’ll write a proper review of the show to go with my various articles posted previously on this site.
It’s been a while since I’ve been to a standing Elvis Costello gig and having got there early I was able to get a standing spot right on the barrier. I chose to stand on Steve Nieve’s side of the stage so I could watch the maestro at work.
A lot has happened in the month since that night! For millions of people, the world is not really the same now as we thought it was then. This virus has forced change on people in ways we didn’t imagine were possible just a month ago and we are living in difficult times with unprecedented use of the word unprecedented.
But since this whole thing started I’ve been getting my daily respite from the distressing events by spending time every day with the very same Steve Nieve. He’s been doing a live broadcast on his Facebook channel every day and I strongly recommend you start tuning in.
Each day he’s joined by his wife Muriel and their son Ajuq. They play all kinds of things. Versions of Elvis Costello songs both well-known and obscure, Steve’s own compositions, covers of Beatles Bowie Elton Abba Squeeze etc. Ajuq is an excellent singer and drummer. Muriel sings too when they can persuade her. She did a breathtaking version of Indoor Fireworks a few days ago. Last week Steve asked people to send him 5 notes and then he improvised pieces based around those. The man’s improvisational and interpretative skills are just incredible.
We’re all going to be stuck at home for a while so it’s important to have some things to look forward to. These broadcasts are a highlight of my day so why not make it a highlight of yours too.
You can watch live at 6pm each day at Steve’s Facebook page. You can also find videos of all previous shows there.
The limitations of a single CD’s worth of my favourite songs of the year inevitably mean that many of the tracks I really loved just miss out and this fills me with guilt.
This Bubbling Under playlist hopefully puts things right.
By that I mean, here’s the latest Kicker of Elves playlist:
The Playlist
The original mix I made also contained these three crackers that are not on yer spotify:
As always, we would urge you to seek out the songs you like and buy the physicality to support the artists.
Like buses, you wait ages for a podcast and then 2 come along at once.
But that’s where the similarity between buses and our podcasts ends.
Unless that is you know of a bus packed full of quality tunes and mildly amusing chat.
Yes it’s the second of our end of year podcasts. This time around it’s Chorizo Garbanzo choosing his favourite songs of 2019 and discussing some of the 3 billion gigs he’s been to this year.
All aboard for episode 90. Please hold on, this bus is about to move.
Tracklisting for this podcast: (includes weblinks, if you like the music you’ve heard please support the artists & buy it like we did)
The Moon and Back This is “an album of kosmische, pop, indie, alternative, DIY, and ambient tunes celebrating the Apollo 11 adventure” released on the ever-reliable Where It’s At Is Where You Are label.
Runner up: Pay It All Back Volume 7 The latest label sampler from On U Sound.
The Moon And Back
Pay It All Back Vol. 7
Favourite EP
Keep Walking EP by Sports Team (2nd year in a row that Sports Team have made my favourite EP of the year!)
I’ve loved Joni Mitchell’s early 70s albums since first hearing them as a teenager but I’ve never known much about her as a person. This impeccably researched podcast series told the story of her life and music in a fascinating way, using interview clips with Joni herself and all the other key players in her story. And what a story it is, even before she starts making music Joni has already had a more eventful life than most!
Great to hear the backstory behind so many of the songs I love as well as inspiring me to buy and fall in love with some of her later albums, Turbulent Indigo in particular.
Great to read an autobiography by a music journalist that is so full of enthusiasm for the job and so free of pretension and self-aggrandisement.
Runner-up: Anarchy in the Year Zero by Clinton Heylin. Extremely detailed and forensic rundown of the early days of punk.
Favourite non-music books
The Quarry & Transition, both by Iain Banks
I know these are both a few years old but I only got around to reading them this year. Transition is a bizarre trippy story with multiple narrators and timelines. The Quarry is much more straight-forward and is centred around 2 fantastically written main characters, a dysfunctional father and son.
It’s made me want to go back and fill in the gaps of all the other Banks books I didn’t read.
Most years I manage to get to around 20 gigs. This year I’ve more than doubled that ending up on 42, a number that’ll please any Douglas Adams or Mozart fans reading this. Actually it’s even more than that because I’ve not included any of the bands I’ve seen sharing the bill at my band’s gigs.
It’s been great fun and I’ve enjoyed them all so it seemed pretty pointless to try and rank them. Instead I’ll just list them in chronological order with a selection of not particularly good photos.
January (3 gigs)
Spare Snare / The Mono Sideboards / Lazy Mary @ 81 Renshaw, Liverpool
— Trust the Wizards (@trustthewizards) May 20, 2019
June (4 gigs)
The Wedding Present @ O2 Academy, Bristol
Sidney Gish @ Gorilla, Manchester
Sacred Paws @ YES, Manchester
The Burning Hell / Quiet Marauder / My Name Is Ian / The Vanity Project @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester
The Wedding Present @ Bristol Academy, June 2019
Sidney Gish @ Gorilla, Manchester June 2019
Sacred Paws @ Yes, Manchester June 2019
My Name Is Ian & Quiet Marauder & Mathias Kom @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester 2019
The Vanity Project @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester 2019
The Burning Hell @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester 2019
July (6 gigs)
Horace Andy @ Manchester International Festival
3D Tanx @ The Castle Hotel, Manchester
The Catenary Wires / Milky Wimpshake @ Gullivers, Manchester
McLusky* @ Gorilla, Manchester
k.d. Lang @ Liverpool Philharmonic
The Wedding Present @ Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool
Three Dimensional Tanx @ The Castle Hotel, Manchester 2019
The Wedding Present @ Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool 2019
The Catenary Wires @ Gullivers, Manchester July 2019
Milky Wimpshake @ Gullivers, Manchester July 2019
k.d. lang @ Liverpool Philharmonic July 2019
Horace Andy @ Manchester International Festival 2019
August (2 gigs)
Tacocat / TWEN @ Gulliver’s Manchester
Courtney Barnett / Goat Girl / The Lovely Eggs / The Bleaches @ Manchester Psych Festival
Courtney Barnett @ Manchester Psych Festival August 2019
Goat Girl @ Manchester Psych Festival August 2019
Tacocat @ Gullivers Manchester August 2019
The Bleaches @ Manchester Psych Festival August 2019
The Lovely Eggs @ Manchester Psych Festival August 2019
TWEN @ Gullivers Manchester August 2019
September (2 gigs)
Eels @ Albert Hall, Manchester
Gruff Rhys / Muzi / Bill Ryder-Jones @ Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda
Eels @ Albert Hall Manchester 2019
Gruff Rhys @ Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda September 2019
Muzi @ Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda September 2019
October (5 gigs)
Alice Hubble / Rodney Cromwell @ The Eagle Inn, Salford
Pip Blom / Personal Trainer @ Gorilla, Manchester
Dumb @ The Eagle Inn, Salford
Saint Etienne @ Everyman Theatre, Liverpool
Squid @ EBGBs, Liverpool
Alice Hubble @ The Eagle Inn, Salford October 2019
Dumb @ The Eagle Inn, Salford October 2019
Rodney Cromwell @ The Eagle Inn, Salford October 2019
Saint Etienne @ Everyman, LiverpoolOctober 2019
Squid @ EBGBs, Liverpool October 2019
Personal Trainer @ Gorilla Manchester October 2019
Pip Blom @ Gorilla Manchester October 2019
November (3 gigs)
The Delines @ St Phillips Church, Salford
The Wave Pictures @ Jacaranda Phase One, Liverpool
Billy Bragg @ O2 Academy 2, Manchester
The Wave Pictures @ Jacaranda Phase One, Liverpool November 2019
Billy Bragg @ Manchester Academy 2019
The Delines @ St Phillips Church Salford
Those Pretty Wrongs @ St Phillips Church Salford 2019
December (1 gig)
Graham Parker @ The Live Rooms, Chester
Graham Parker @ The Live Rooms, Chester (December 2019)
Exactly half the gigs (21) were in Manchester or Salford. There were 7 in Chester (not bad for a city that doesn’t have much of a gig scene) and 6 in Liverpool. The closure of the much-missed Central Station in Wrexham meant that I saw only 2 gigs in Wales this year.
Hello and thanks to all friends who’ve attended these gigs with me: Mrs Garbanzo, Kicker of Elves, Texas Paul, Matt, Rebel Rikkit, Tom a.k.a. Daysleeper, Jules, Glenys, Big Rick, Jeff, Pompey Mike, Comedy Paul, Kevin, Linda, The Lancashire Toreador, Tom W, Mr Fingers, Simon B, Nigel, Leslie, Ed, Jono, Susie, Jo K, Jo D & Jean-Paul.
Sorry to say that one of those friends sadly passed on before the year was through so this one goes out to her.
In 2019, I saw my favourite band play live for the first time in 20 years. The next day I met my musical hero in a record shop and then saw my favourite band play live for the first time in 24 hours. The rest of my musical year was pretty not bad either: I got to see the best Scottish band ever play just down the road, met another musical legend and bought far too many records than could ever really be justified.
dougside
From these records, I have narrowed it down to a CD’s worth (plus a couple of extras) to play to my fellow wizard Chorizo Garbanzo and at some point test him on his knowledge of musical punctuation – SPOILER: he does quite admirably.
You can listen to the whole shebang right here:
Alternatively, you can just imagine the whole thing with, no doubt, improved witty chat between songs by reading through the tracklist here:
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – The Best Of Folks
Guided By Voices – Ego Central High
The Gotobeds – On Loan
Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage – LPs
Richard Dawson – Two Halves
David Kilgour & The Heavy Eights – Looks Like I’m Running Out
Babybird – Cave In
Purple Mountains – All My Happiness Is Gone
Fontaines D.C. – Big
Tropical Fuck Storm – Braindrops
Robert Forster – Crazy Jane And The Day Of Judgement
Von Hayes – December Sun
Robyn Hitchcock & Andy Partridge – Flight Attendants, Please Prepare For Love
Kneeling In Piss – USA Will Start Another War
Comet Gain – Bad Nite At The Mustache
The Cool Greenhouse – Landlords
Honey Radar – Cornflake ESP
Bill Callahan – Tugboats & Tumbleweeds
Lankum – Katie Cruel
Guided By Voices – The Rally Boys
Craven Faults – Ings
Physicality
What all the cool kids are listening to…
If you enjoyed this podcast, watch out for a quick sharp follow up with Chorizo’s Best of 2019 soon upon us, and if you didn’t enjoy this one, you’ll be relieved to know the next one is much better.
Lists of more of my favourite stuff from 2019 can be found here:
As is becoming tradition, let’s start with my favourite SONG OF THE YEAR (a full run down of all my favourite songs can be heard on one of our end of the year podcasts – the Kicker one). There perhaps isn’t a more suitable song for these uncertain times nor one quite as timely in quoting the late Bob Crow: “”Spit on your own and you can’t do anything, but if we all spit together we can drown the bastards.”
Thank you for still being here, Comet Gain.
Top 30 Albums
1 Guided By Voices – Sweating The Plague
2 Comet Gain – Fireraisers, Forever!
3 Richard Dawson – 2020
4 Kneeling In Piss – Tour De Force
5 Guided By Voices – Zeppelin Over China
6 Lankum – The Livelong Day
7 Fontaines D.C. – Dogrel
8 Von Hayes – Moderate Rock
9 Honey Radar – Ruby Puff Of Dust
10 David Kilgour & The Heavy Eights – Bobbie’s A Girl
11 Babybird – Photosynthesis
12 Guided By Voices – Warp And Woof
13 Tropical Fuck Storm – Braindrops
14 The Gotobeds – Debt Begins At 30
15 Robert Forster – Inferno
16 Bill Callahan – Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest
17 Purple Mountains – Purple Mountains
18 Aldous Harding – Designer
19 Lewsberg – Lewsberg
20 Smug Brothers – Attic Harvest
21 Craven Faults – Springhead Works / Nunroyd Works
22 Unhappy Fly – Unhappy Fly
23 Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage – Bad Wiring
24 Mekons – Deserted
25 The Delines – The Imperial
26 Alice Hubble – Polarlichter
27 Negativland – True False
28 The World Of Dust – Samsarax
29 75 Dollar Bill – I Was Real
30 Kitchen Cynics – Things We Pretend To Do
… and making up a top 50 albums, all of which you should own, are, in alphabetical order, 20 more:
Bitw – Bitw; Christian Fitness – You Are The Ambulance; Clinic – Wheeltappers And Shunters; Edwyn Collins – Badbea; Doubting Thomas Cruise Control – Incredible Mileage; Dust From 1000 Yrs – Born To Itch; Liam Hayes – Mirage Garage; Darren Hayman – 12 Astronauts; Steve Ignorant’s Slice Of Life – Don’t Turn Away; Joseph Airport – Diorama Pt. 2; Simon Joyner – Pocket Moon; Leafcutter John – Yes! Come Parade With Us; Mark Mulcahy – The Gus; Neutrals – Kebab Disco; Petersburg – Show; Possible Humans – Everybody Split; Smug Brothers – All Blur And Spark; Western Edges – Prowess; Faye Webster – Atlanta Millionaires Club; James Yorkston – The Route To The Harmonium
Top 10 Compilations
1 Lodger Doll Three – A Tribute To Guided By Voices and Bee Thousand (Almost Halloween Time Records)
2 Electrical Language – Independent British Synth Pop 78 -84 (Cherry Red)
3 Popcorn Lung: A Polytechnic Youth Collection
4 iNDEX06 (DiN)
5 The Moon And Back – One Small Step For Global Pop (WIAIWYA)
6 Outro Tempo II: Electronic and Contemporary Music From Brazil, 1984-1996 (Music From Memory)
7 The Watchers (A Year In The Country)
8 Positive Times Infinity: An Emotional Response Compilation
9 Electronic Sound Bulletin F
10 WitchMix (Burning Witches)
Top 10 EPs
1 Robyn Hitchcock / Andy Partridge – Planet England
2 Guided By Voices – Umlaut Over The Özone
3 Guided By Voices – 1901 Acid Rock
4 Lou Barlow – Over You
5 Fontaines D.C – Darklands Versions
6 Craven Faults – Lowfold Reworks
7 The Ocean Party – Nothing Grows
8 The Declining Winter – Return To Branch
9 Mzylkypop – Mzylkypop Presents Xzyles
10 Billordo – Yo Nunca Me Rendi
Top 10 Reissues / Re-pressings / Remixes / Not Strictly Speaking New Stuff
1 The Go-Betweens – G Stands For Go-Betweens: Anthology – Volume 2
2 Peter Jefferies – Last Ticket Home
3 Babybird – Happy Stupid Nothing
4 The Replacements – Dead Man’s Pop
5 Benjamin Shaw – Exciting Opportunities: A Collection of Singles and Sadness
6 The Springfields – Singles 1986 – 1991
7 Jim Shepard – Heavy Action
8 Jim Sullivan – If The Evening Were Dawn
9 The The – See Without Being Seen
10 The Delines – Scenic Sessions
Top 6 Live Albums
1 The Go-Betweens – Fountains Of Youth
2 Babybird – Live In Sheffield
3 Benjamin Shaw – Live At Donaufestival
4 The Necks – Live In Berlin
5 Neil Young & Stray Gators – Tuscaloosa
6 Hood – Live – 23 Avril 1995, Paris
Top 6 Gigs
1 Guided By Voices – Village Underground, London, 6 June
My favourite song by my favourite band. You can see what it means to me at 1’48”. Filmed by Nige Nudds.
2 Guided By Voices – Village Underground, London, 5 June
3 Robert Forster – Band On The Wall, Manchester, 16 May
4 Spare Snare – 81 Renshaw, Liverpool, 11 January
5 Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool, 9 July
6 The Delines/Those Pretty Wrongs – St Philip’s, Salford, 7 November
The Robert Pollard Annual Output Roundup
Not the most prolific year in Uncle Bob’s recording life, but, my god, the quality was high. Three stellar Guided By Voices albums (one a double) – all of which made my top 12 albums of the year. We also had 2 EPs – the tracks from which would later appear on Warp & Woof, and a third Cash Rivers & The Sinners album: Loose Shoes – this one supposedly a bootleg. There was also a Robert Pollard EP release: (Dislodge) The Immortal Orangemen, which accompanied the latest volume of Pollard art work in Eat 15, and a 7″ single of Heavy Like The World, which featured a non-LP B-side. In the wider GbVworld, we had a single from Eyelids: It’s About To Go Down featuring Chris Slusarenko, with the promise of a new album to come in 2020. Todd Tobias released his second album with Pat Moonchy called Atmosfere and had a book released detailing his involvement in Circus Devils. Doug Gillard also somehow found time to play on the debut album from Nicole Yun, the lead singer from Eternal Summers: Paper Suits, and a cover of Paul McCartney’s Backwards Traveller put out on Neil Hamburger‘s Still Dwelling album. He probably did loads of other stuff too, but as with much to do with GbV, it’s almost impossible to keep the fuck up.
Top 6 Music Related Books (Read This Year)
1 The Greatest Living Englishman – Martin Newell
2 A Fabulous Creation: How The LP Saved Our Lives – David Hepworth
3 Art Sex Music – Cosey Fanni Tutti
4 Have A Bleedin Guess – Paul Hanley
5 Circus Devils: See You Inside – Todd Tobias
6 Sleevenotes – David Gedge
Top 5 Music Films Seen (But Not Necessarily Released) This Year
1 Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story
2 Marianne And Leonard – Words Of Love (Leonard Cohen)
3 The Wedding Present – Something Left Behind
4 Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story
5 The Curse Of The Chills
The Stephen Jones One Man Domination Of Record Shelf Space Award
Babybird – Photosynthesis / Dead / Not Pop / Black Ghost/Union Jack Ghost / Cigarette Candle / I Was Born Again / Toothpaste For The Soul / Jesus Loves You – The Christmas Album
Babybird – Happy Stupid Nothing / The B-Sides / Babybird 95-19 / The Self-Destructive Pleasures Of An Ex-Maniac / King Of Nothing: Extras / Live In Sheffield / Deranged Visual Delight
Arthritis Kid – I Am Not A Monster
Apple Android – Apple Android 2
Musical Discovery Of The Year
Alex Mussawir: Kneeling In Piss and his previous band, Future Nuns
Thanks to the legendary Bela Koe-Krompecher for the initial recommendation.
Last year, I only owned one CD on this label, the Official World Cup Theme 2010 by The Declining Winter. This year, I have added:
Northener – I Am On Your Side, Yuri Lugovsky – S/T, Insecto – Post Edit De Un Cromosoma, Peptalk – Islet, A New Line (Related) – Our Lady Of Perpetual Fucking Succour, The Big Eyes Family Players – Oh!, Bracken – High Passes, Mahatma X – A Mobtown Suite Vol. 1, Fieldhead – We’ve All Been Swimming, Malk – Death From A Love, The Declining Winter – Belmont Slope, Northener – End Of The Holiday
And I still haven’t yet managed to catch up with the 2019 releases.
Favourite Music Related Moment (Outside of Everything Above)
On the record buying front, 2 of the albums pictured above – both the Kitchen Cynics and Joseph Airport – came with unique covers, both of which I love. I also now own my first 8” record – again thanks to Alan Cynic.
I was really exited to meet Jody Stephens this year and he is, as everyone who has met him knows, a wonderfully humble and generous human being.
But, in 2019, not only did I get to see Guided By Voices again, twice, I finally managed to meet Robert Pollard. In a record shop. In a fucking record shop. Robert Pollard. I can die happy now, which might just be as well as the end of the world feels very nigh indeed.
Please help support all the wonderful musicians mentioned in the lists above by searching out their records, CDs, tapes and downloads and BUYING THEM!!!
Steve Lamacq has been asking listeners to his 6Music show for their choices for favourite album of 1989. I’ve been really enjoying hearing lots of music from that year on his show so I think I must be pretty much his target audience for that kind of question!
In 1989 I was 18 and working at The HMV Shop. I passed my driving test which meant all of a sudden it was much easier to travel to gigs in Brighton / Portsmouth / Southampton / London etc. My first Glastonbury festival was also in 1989 (hear all about that on our most recent podcast)
If the Mercury Prize was held in 1989, which of these albums would you choose to win The Silvery Music Prize, and why?
I’ve made a list of my own 25 favourite albums from that year. Not many surprises here for anyone that knows me! 24 of these are albums that I bought and loved at the time. Number 18 on the list is one that I’ve discovered and fallen in love with far more recently.
I’ve chosen a favourite song from each of these albums for the Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page.
25. Lincoln – They Might Be Giants
24. Avalon Sunset – Van Morrison
23. More Songs About Love And Hate – The Godfathers
22. Cosmic Thing – The B52s
21. Maria McKee – Maria McKee
20. Hope And Despair – Edwyn Collins
19. Earthquake Weather – Joe Strummer
18. The Enraged Will Inherit The Earth – McCarthy
17. Moss Side Story – Barry Adamson
16. This Time Around – Green On Red
15. Spike – Elvis Costello
14. Kite – Kirsty MacColl
13. Raw Like Sushi – Neneh Cherry
12. Indigo Girls – Indigo Girls
11. Disintegration – The Cure
10. Rei Momo – David Byrne
9. Here Today Tomorrow Next Week – The Sugarcubes
8. Love Is Hell – Kitchens of Distinction
7. Blind Man’s Zoo – 10,000 Maniacs
6. Don’t Stop The Night – Momus
5. The Sensual World – Kate Bush
4. Bizarro – The Wedding Present
3. Technique – New Order
2. Me & A Monkey On The Moon – Felt
1. Doolittle – Pixies
I saw 8 of those bands on tour supporting these albums
Lancaster’s finest pan-galactic garage rockers Three Dimensional Tanx have got a new video out and we are most honoured to premiere it on our website.
Have a watch of it here then read our interview with video director Luke Woolley below.
CG: How did you get the job of making the video?
LW: I just asked them! I’m one of those people that still buys magazines like Mojo and Uncut. I stumbled across a review for 3D Tanx latest album so I bought that and asked them if I could make the video. I struck lucky as Richard was kind enough to reply and allow it to happen. He also donated his acting skills, although you may not have seen him as the band were in disguise as tortilla people, and in another clip, he was in a wig.
CG: What equipment did you use?
I am ashamed to say I’ve had to resort to my phone with the last couple I have made. My camera broke and I need some funds for some new kit. But in all fairness, its a decent camera and a good size, for fitting into the sets that I couldnt have done with my old camera (RIP). Also a lot of the videos i have been making are on a shoestring budget and luckily I have an 18 month son, so I robbed his toys for this particular video.
CG: Why did you choose that song?
Mainly down to the title,I came up with a sci fi idea based on a “chemical cubicle” (which I am now obliged to spell as “cubical” because I believe Spacey liked it that way and I can see why.)
I just pictured another galaxy within that cubical and they needed to bait Spacey into joining them in their astral plane.
CG: What are you favourite music videos?
A tricky one, earliest one that stuck in my mind would have been Sledgehammer. That video is a classic with the stop motion around Mr Gabriel’s Head and how long it must have taken. Michel Gondry’s videos are always great to watch, (e.g. Daft Punk, White Stripes). Also the Aphex Twin videos by Chris Cunningham. Recently I would have to say Tongues by Joywave was a great music video. That was by Daniels, who made the film Swiss Army Man.
I like seeing what directors interpretations of songs are. I imagine its nice for the band to see what other people see in their music too.
TTW: What would be your dream video project?
I’m just chuffed I have managed to make the ones I have so far! Especially because I’ve been making videos for the music that I like, so that definitely helps with the creative process. I have been lucky to make one for Jeffrey Lewis earlier this year, which was a bit of a dream project, as I have been a fan of his since the early 00’s. That should be out soon hopefully and I’m also making another one for him. I think I would have to say a video for Gruff Rhys, Pixies or Eels would be a bit of a dream job. Or The Kinks if they ever decide to chuck out a new album. But I reckon I’d need more of a budget for the old fellas. I think Ty Segall is great too. He would be good to work with as his music is quite varied between albums. But as long as I can keep making them, then I’m happy.
TTW: 3D Tanx have a lot of space travel in their lyrics. Do you think there’s life on other planets?
Definitely. I still think we are all aliens pissing off the natives to this earth; the trees, hence them going underground and working on something with their wee tentacle arms.
TTW: What do you think alien lifeforms look like?
I reckon they will look like slices of bread with different races being granary, white, sourdough etc.
CG: The sport of cricket. Is it any good or is it a load of bollocks?
I’m afraid cricket is bollocks. But genius, as its the best hobby man has invented, as you can just piss about in a field for hours and no one seems to care. I need to take up cricket.
In the run-up to this year’s Glastonbury, it dawned on me that it was the 30th anniversary of my first ever visit to that festival. So I got together with a couple of my mates that went with me in 1989 to reminisce about the music, the experience and inevitably the toilets.
As we start to put foolish things behind us (bye, football season that dared us to hope) and focus on what really matters (hello, cricket World Cup), it’s time for a quick catch up on the sorts of things our Kicker has had going through his head (apart from a real love for a 63 year old man, who might be about to break his heart).*
oh, the joys of summer
By that we mean, here’s the latest Kicker of Elves playlist:
The Playlist
As always, we would urge you to seek out the songs you like and buy the physicality to support the artists.
One of our favourite albums of 2018 has just been released on vinyl. “A Compulsion For Propulsion” by Three Dimensional Tanx is fast, psychedelic, melodic and a bit weird. All the things we love about great pop music really.
The Lancaster band are Sean (bass), Loz (drums), Spacey (vocals, organ, synths) and Richard (guitar, piano, synths) and those last two kindly took the time to answer some of our questions.
Listen to the album while you read the interview and then buy it when you’re done!
What was the first music you heard that made you want to play in a band?
Richard: I used to watch Top of the Pops religiously as a child and leapt about ripping my school shirt open. I suppose the indie scene of the 90s was where I came of age, but I’d say the Velvet Underground, Stooges, the Doors and Love were the big ones for me at aged 15.
What was the first instrument you learnt to play? Did you have lessons or teach yourself?
Spacey: Piano in early teens but didn’t stick with it, hated piano practice more than homework.
Richard: Guitar – had lessons for a couple of years as a child – absolutely hated them. The teacher would play a classical piece, and I’d learn it by ear, pretend to read the music and find my way around. Had no interest in it whatsoever. I hated practising so much – I gave up and put the guitar in the loft, vowing never to play it again! A couple of years later, I got it back out of the loft and taught myself. Still teaching myself now, but it’s much easier these days thanks to YouTube etc.
For the new album, how fully formed were the songs and arrangements before you went in the studio? It sounds very “live”
Richard: A real mixture. A few had been gigged, and we had them in the bag really. Some were nearly there, then came together in the studio, A lot just need the vocals finalising.
Spacey: ‘Dwam’ was basically a jam with some overdubs.
Richard: The four of us all played live. We did 1-3 takes of each song, and used the best one. Vocals were added separately. Apart from vocals, most songs don’t have any overdubs at all – it’s just how we are
You worked with a different producer, Alan Gregson who’s got a lot of great Cornershop records on his CV. How was that?
Richard: I also play in Pill Fangs, and we’d recorded our first album with Alan. He was great to work with – really quick, open-minded and a good laugh. Importantly, we could record live and raw. So I knew he’d be great for 3D Tanx. On the first session we had with him, we recorded 9 songs in 5 hours. And the first 2 hours was just setting stuff up!
What items of food or drink were the most essential for re-fuelling during the recording of the album?
Spacey: Coffee (speaking personally)
Richard: Alan kept the coffee pot fully charged. Few beers, nothing too giddy. Possibly a different answer from Loz!
The retro keyboard sounds on all your records are phenomenally good. What kind of keyboards are you using?
Spacey: Philips Philicorda, Korg MicroKorg XL, beat-up old Casio.
Richard: On ‘His Latest Apparatus’ and ‘Racing Car #9’ I added acoustic upright piano, MicroKorg, Korg Monologue, and cheap early ’80s Yamaha and Casio analog synths.
Why the long delay between the CD / download release and the vinyl?
Spacey: Money!
Richard: Everything takes ages. Lots of prosaic reasons. For a start, vinyl is more expensive and harder to manufacture than CDs. All the artwork had to re-done…everything takes longer than you think.
What’s the meaning of the song title “Dwam”?
Richard: It’s a Scottish term meaning being relaxed/in a state of reverie, like in that blissful bit just before you fall to sleep.
There’s a backwards talking bit in that song which I listened to backwards and heard “the human race is in disgrace” Are there any other hidden messages on the album?
Spacey: Ha! I can’t fully remember – some was just the main lyrics spoken, then flipped around…”the human race is in disgrace” was one bit.
“Pink Spaceship” from your previous album is one of a handful of songs that has been played twice on our podcast! (Podcast 66 and Podcast 70)
There’s mentions of stars, satellites, galaxies and interplanetary beings on the new album. If there is life on other planets what form do you think it might take?
Richard: I like to think there might be life out there where idiots don’t make all the major decisions.
Imagine that humans have just made contact with alien life forms for the first time. You are given the job of choosing some human ambassadors from our planet to send to meet them in a pink spaceship. Who do you choose and why? You can also send an animal too if you like. But only one because I just made up a rule that says that.
Richard: Wow, is there anyone up to the task?! Possibly Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Caroline Lucas. If there was any chance they’d be sent into space and be lost up there, then Trump, May & Putin! No animals, they can’t say no.
Spacey: Our drummer is usually on another planet, he can meet ’em…with his cat Jasper.
Lancaster seems to have quite a lively music scene with several bands we love here at Trust the Wizards (yourselves, The Thyme Machine, Lovely Eggs, Mr Ben & The Bens) How much of that is because of the Lancaster Music co-op and what other factors are responsible?
Richard: There are loads of bands from our neck of the woods – maybe not your cup of tea, but bands like Massive Wagons and Eliminator who’re both signed and tour all over the place are from the Lancaster area. The one’s you’ve mentioned, plus Khamoon, TV Face, Stuart Anthony (who collaborates with Tim Buckley’s lyricist)
Also “the best songwriter you’ve never heard of” (Record Collector) Dan Haywood (New Hawks, Pill Fangs). [TTW: we’ve been listening to Pill Fangs recently and he’s right, they are brilliant!]
The Co-op definitely helps foster that talent, there’s also plenty of bands in their houses, garages, More Music (in Morecambe) and so on. The Northwest seems to generate a lot of bands – maybe out of frustration, desperation, anger?!
If you could magic yourself into any band past or present who would you choose and why?
Spacey: Ha! I think it’d be an experience being part of the Screamers.
Richard: Maybe to be play bass in the brief 5-piece incarnation of the Stooges – see Iggy in his prime, lock in with Rock Action on drums and witness Ron Asheton and James Williamson both on guitar. That would be pretty cool.
We will have a real cool time tonight!
And if you could magically recruit any other musician alive or dead and add them to the existing 3D Tanx lineup who would you choose and why?
Spacey: Lora Logic on sax and gurgleburps.
Richard: Hmmmm…maybe get Pharoah Sanders to play sax with us…or Ken Irwin from C.A, Quintet to play trumpet.
We’re coming to see you at The Castle Hotel in Manchester on 19th July. Where else can people see you live?
Richard: Check out our website for gig updates, we’re playing locally, plus psych festivals in Wales and Derbyshire, something in Leeds…
You’re in a caff ordering breakfast. You can have toast and your choice of tea or coffee. Then you’re allowed 4 more items. Go.
Next week sees the release of the latest extraordinary album from Quiet Marauder. It’s a science fiction concept album about the discovery of a rip in the space time continuum. In Kent. It has 30 tracks and is narrated by the always wonderful Mathias Kom from The Burning Hell.
Hear songs from the album and various other hazy cosmic jive in our exclusive interview with Simon Read.
Listen on Soundcloud below or right-click this to download.
We strongly encourage you to buy Quiet Marauder’s music from Bubblewrap Collective website. Tour dates can be found on the same page. We’ll be going to the Manchester gig in June so see you at the bar.
As Liverpool v Bayern Munich ground to a goalless stalemate, the real entertainment was going on across town at Jacaranda Phase One. Chorizo Garbanzo walked through the storm with his held high to hear the sweet silver songs of Art Brut.
Listen below or download this to hear what he made of it all.
Here’s the podcast on Soundcloud.
Here are some of our photos.
Salt The Snail at Jacaranda Phase One Liverpool 19th February 2019
Salt The Snail at Jacaranda Phase One Liverpool 19th February 2019
Salt The Snail at Jacaranda Phase One Liverpool 19th February 2019
Salt The Snail at Jacaranda Phase One Liverpool 19th February 2019
Art Brut at Jacaranda Phase One Liverpool 19th February 2019
Art Brut at Jacaranda Phase One Liverpool 19th February 2019
Some artwork from the Art Brut comic book I bought at the gig
Art Brut at Jacaranda Phase One Liverpool 19th February 2019
RT @JahHills: Was researching Elvis Costello's "My Dark Life"--a stand-out oddity in his discography--which Brian Eno produced in 1996. Fou… 3 hours ago
