In conversation with Bad Touch

XXXX - From the outside looking in the career arc of Bad Touch certainly gives the impression of living the dream. There’s been many plaudits and a whole bunch of sought after national supports secured by the band.

Obviously none of that falls into your lap though.

So what is the secret? Is it simply a combination of hard work, talent and luck?

BT - Things have been going really well for the band over the last couple of years and its difficult to put your finger on why - It's probably a combination of the band constantly striving to improve and write better songs, playing as many live shows as we can, sound management and a huge slice of luck - hopefully opportunities will keep coming and we will make the most of them

XXXX - Is there moments when you are all on the road that the trials and tribulations of the reality of moving from city to city, setting up, sound checking, crashing out and then doing it all again slips into the background and you consider yourself rather blessed to be doing something that you all so obviously love doing?

BT - Touring is without doubt our favourite way to gig as we can focus on exactly what we are doing and get into a good routine - and we want to keep on doing it for years to come.

Obviously as a young band we are going to cities and venues we have never played before and meeting loads of great people who support live music - how could anyone not love it.

We have also been really fortunate to have toured with some great bands and really lovely people - The Quireboys and Bonafide were just the perfect people to help us through our first 2 tours - and having met both The Electric Boys and Tyketto in the past we know that they to are great guys to tour with.

XXXX - In the hardest moments. The nights when everything goes wrongs - as if we are honest every band has battled through them - what is it that keeps you going?

BT - There have been nights where everything that possibly could have gone wrong has gone wrong, and we've thought we've played really badly because we've been battling with equipment constantly going wrong.

But then when multiple people come up to you afterwards and say how much they enjoyed it and that you played really well despite the problems, it makes none of the problems really matter. Because we all love playing and writing our own music and people enjoying the music you've written is what it's all about and the good nights far outweigh the bad.

XXXX - In every band there is that one person who is the take charge type. The one who has an OCD approach to covering everything and the rest turn to and ask anything from “where’s the set list” to “is there a Mexican vegan restaurant near the venue” and they can actually answer pretty much anything. In Bad Touch who is that?

BT - We are all a bit OCD but in different area's. Rob is fussy about the songs themselves, Steve and George about performing and putting on a good show, Seeks about image and artwork, Baileys just too laid back - but does have in built satnav to find the nearest Weatherspoons.- probably the only one with his priorities in the correct order

XXXX - Once this forthcoming tour with The Electric Boys is put to bed what is the next move for the band? How far ahead are you forward planning?

BT -  Once the tour with the Electric Boys concludes we will be looking forward to another short UK tour with Tyketto and several one off gig's and festivals around the country including Hard Rock Hell and Legends of Rock.

In January we are off the Sweden to record our debut album which we hope to be ready for release in the early Spring - the plan is then to tour the UK again to promote the release.

We expect to play several festivals throughout the summer of 2015 - then perhaps tour again in the autumn but beyond this we dont have any plans - just hopes.

XXXX - In the time frame of the band being together you have obviously been gaining an insight into the music business as you have forged ahead.

What sort of advice would you offer other bands?

Is there one specific thing they should avoid, one specific thing they must do?

BT - In the time we have been together the music business has continued to evolve and has become ever tougher for young bands to establish themselves and with the fall off in sales of recorded music there are not many companies willing to take a chance on an unproven band.

Never-the-less there are still young bands such as Heavens Basement making progress so its up to us to work as hard as we can and build up a following around the country and gigging as much as possible is vital.

Advice to other young bands - Go and see as many bands as possible and learn from the best.

Avoid - behaving like you are already rock stars

Must - Write good songs and practice and gig as much as possible

XXXX - As the gig in Glasgow is following the referendum vote for independence has it dawned on you all that Bad Touch could unofficially be one of the first English bands to play in Scotland as a foreign country (I say unofficially as independence doesn't automatically follow a yes vote). In a sense you could be forging the way for others to follow.

BT - We just hope that we won't be cavity searched at the border.

(XXXX. It’s not going to be compulsory, but if you want to put some names forward we can see what we can do.)

XXXX - And finally do you have any messages that you want to pass on to your Scottish fans?

BT -  We've only played in Scotland a few times and every time its always been a great and appreciative crowd, so I'd just say thanks for your support and for making us feel welcome.

Bad Touch will be arriving in Glasgow to open for Electric Boys on Sept 21st and will be joined by Rank Berry.

Info is here.

Hans Chew - Christie Connor-Vernal King Tuts Wah Wah Hut - 29/07/14 (Glasgow)

Innis & Gunn in a can?

Why did no one tell me about this?

Initially I was entertaining some dark thoughts about this new release being kept a secret from me, but then when my change was handed back over the bar I realized that friends were keeping it quiet in an attempt to steer me away from financial ruin.

In these recession hit times the four pound price tag (nearly $7US) is something that my meagre income is not up to carrying the weight of.

As the barmaid took my money I had a flashback to when the Solid Rock Café wet the bottom of a two glasses with some Mount Gay rum and took ten pounds from me for the privilege. 

I nearly cried that night, and as I sipped on my expensive Innis and Gunn I could feel tears welling up again as I grieved for the loss of hard worked for mullah from my wallet.

It’s been an emotional week I guess.

Anyway on the upside I was in good company, and the prospect of seeing Christie Connor-Vernal with a full band backing her, and the headliner Hans Chew, was enough to balance out the bad karma that was lurking behind the bar waiting to take the shine off the night for unsuspecting patrons.

Once relocated to venue proper that is upstairs the night could start in earnest though, and it most certainly did as Christie and the band opened with As good as I am.

The studio version, while impressive, pales in comparison to the live rendition.

It’s not that the band and Christie were pulling their punches while recording it, but instead that with a quality sound - and an audience to play to that were obviously supportive - the whole performance is taken to a different level again.

After another couple of songs were aired from the session I started to get the distinct impression that there was something quite cinematic about the experience.

That what we were seeing reflected the Hollywood rock and roll fantasy.

It’s Christie starring as the up and coming artist who is paying her dues along with her band in small bar rooms, and from the quality of the music on display it is easy to see where the story is going, and of course the credits will assuredly roll on a triumphant stadium show.

However the thing with these films is that they can’t start off revealing anyone really paying their dues, and from the first song the standard is set at a level that is maintained across the whole movie.

After all they have a soundtrack release to sell.

Consider Kris Kristofferson and Barbara Streisand in “A star is born”.

Beyonce Knowles in “Dreamgirls”,

Or even Neil Diamond in “The Jazz Singer”.

All of these movies have musicians at the top of their game pretending to be starting off, and it is in this way that the set reflects that as the quality of the bands performance is out of sync with the surroundings.

It’s a set that is already at the point of being featured as the end credits roll.

It just seems that as a whole this is a band that should literally be already jetting about from festival to stadium and it is only in catching them live that this can be understood.

On the rare occasions when I witness a band taking the music to this degree of professionalism, paired with a solid chunk of passion, then it honestly begs the question why label representatives are not out the back of the venue slapping each other in the face with chequebooks with the last man, or women, standing getting to sign them.

Someone out there somewhere isn't doing their job if any band this talented is not being supported in achieving their dreams.

As for Hans Chew it was a bittersweet first meeting.

The bitter part was all about the amount of people flooding from the venue prior to them starting to play.

Something that had nothing to do with Hans Chew either, but everything to do with the usual myopic engagement with live music from the public.

People just generally stick to what they know, and as Hans and his band are a bit of an unknown quantity here in the UK then the majority simply weren't looking to take the time to get acquainted.

It would be easy to say it is their loss, but it isn't.

It’s really our loss, our collective loss, because every time this happens the artists at the level Hans and his band-mates are at have to consider if it is worth returning to these shores from the other side of the world.

They have to think about the costs involved, the time away from their family and friends, and then weigh it up while asking themselves if the fan picked up in this bar here and the two in that club there is really edging their careers forward in any meaningful way.

The brutal angle on that is if it’s not, then it’s not, and it isn't worth doing.

The sweet part was as you have probably guessed the music, and oh how sweet it was.

The band simply refused to let the dwindling crowd take anything away from what they do.

With a Hans Chew show no one is getting short changed.

You paid to hear some great music and that’s what you are getting.

It’s actually rare to see a band so attuned to each other.

I don’t know if it comes from practice, a natural ability, or a combination of both, but there are points in the show where it looks as if the band becomes lost in a high velocity jam session with each other.

Sometimes when that happens I can appreciate that the musicians are skirting with disaster and there’s an added appeal as everything could jump the rails at any second, but Hans Chew aren’t like that.

Instead it’s a fluid and organic performance that takes everything to a peak, and then pushes on beyond that and as every peak is reached and you think they can’t take it to another then they gleefully do leaving other bands in the dust.

Of course on stage Hans is the focal point, and maintains control throughout, but this is a real band and not a one man show.

The musicianship on display hammers that point home.

The rhythm section of Jesse Wallace on drums and Ricardo Ortiz on bass don’t simply provide a beat, a foundation for the songs to be built up from, but rather they play their instruments as part of the fabric of the songs and provide additional shading to everything that is being played.

I've seen many drum solos and like the majority of non musicians they leave me cold, but Jesse doesn't just beat at the skins and hit everything in sight.

When he goes into his solo it’s a musical part of the show in itself.

Similarly Dave Cavallo on guitar is no slouch.

You want some bottle neck slide with the soulful keyboard flourish?

Not a problem sir.

You want a punky thrash to compliment some honky-tonk tinkling?

Have some of that and here’s a side order of the blues to go with it.

Meanwhile with Hans stomping, growling and howling through everything from soul and jazz to country and juke joint rock and roll it becomes glaringly obvious that they are collectively providing a joyous noise that covers every base imaginable.

It’s a smorgasbord of aural delights with something for everyone.

A one stop shop for real music fans to indulge in.

At one point as they tucked their heads down and powered on I was thinking about a celebrity death match between the Doors and MC5 with it coming to a points finish.

At another I was considering Dr John playing at 3am in a piano bar.

Stunning.

That could be a one word review for it.

To take it back to an earlier point about the lack of an audience.

If this is what you get in a room with barely anyone in it can you imagine what it would be like if the band could feed off an ecstatic crowd and they and the audience build on that flow?

At the end of the gig it would have to be classed as a natural disaster zone as it wouldn't just be the roof of the venue taken off, but every roof in a five mile radius.

Oh I do so hope they come back.  

Hans Chew Facebook  Hans Chew Website  Christie Connor-Vernal Facebook  CCV Bandcamp

One small step for the NHC

And so it begins...

The first step on a journey that will lead to who knows where.
With a property now being secured and a lease about to be signed it is with much excitement, a bit of trepidation and a whole lot of “is this really happening” being said, that we can proudly announce that the NHCs dreams are about to become a reality because very soon the doors will open on our own little store.
Yes. You heard that right and we shall announce the exact location very soon.
From the store we shall be selling a range of new and used CDs, Vinyl's, Books and DVDs.
This will be at the core of what we do, but it’s all really just there to provide a foundation that will allow us to financially fund having a place from where we can support the artistic community as a whole.
And how will you do that I hear you ask?

Well that answer is that if you are currently unsigned and going down the DIY route, or if you are running an independent label, then we want to sell what you have.
We have looked at multiple options of how to do this and we consider that the best is that you sign up quarterly to us for the princely sum of £3 a month with an introductory offer of three for two which means it’s just £6 you give us and then we sell anything you have at the price you say and you get it all.
Yes. You heard correctly.
If you want to sell a CD at £6 then that’s how much it is.
T-shirts, cassettes, vinyl single and albums?
Whatever you say it is to be then that’s exactly how much it is.
We shall stock it in the shop and online for £3 a month with no hidden costs.
Hell, if you have tickets for a gig to sell then give them to us and it’s in on the deal as well.
No booking fees either.

Of course it is at this point that anyone in a band, who is playing solo or has a label, is asking why they should give us this £3 when other shops will stock their CD for free?
Well the answer is that we all know that when you do that the shop then makes an addition to the cost so that they can get a cut.
For a small act that is trying to carve themselves a niche that additional cost can be the thing that stops a curious music fan from investing in their release though.
We are removing that part of it, and we will also promote your release with online reviews and even by personal recommendations to customers.

For example if someone purchases a Bob Dylan book from us and you are the Celtic Dylan then we will assuredly tell them that they should lend an ear to your release and play them a track off it.

So for £3 you are having two outlets for your release (Store and online), a review, possibly an online interview, and people who will pro-actively try and sell your music to people.

Not bad.

Even if we do say so ourselves.

Also we will be looking to keep the ball rolling with the friends of NHC group with which, for a one-off donation of £10 for a year will receive 20% off any purchases made from our own stock, and get a pre-heads up of one week for any live instore signings, acoustic shows, and special days and nights-meaning you get first chance to snap up limited tickets and spaces! For a mere tenner a year it's a great deal.
Currently we already have a rather large amount that will excite those who like to trawl through the record and book stores to find a bargain and if a canny shopper considers that they will be in often then that £10 donation could be a solid investment with the bonus of it also helping us fund other projects in the pipeline.

Independent record labels can get in on the act too, any record labels, from anywhere on the globe, wanting us to stock music and merchandise from ALL the bands they represent can do so, for the small fee of only £6 per month. For that price (Less than a couple of pints of lagers) we will stock a few of each cd they have, any vinyls/tapes, Tickets (minus any extra handling fees) get some release posters up, flyers on the counter, a mention on the board of  labels we support, airplay on our popular weekly podcast, your items on our online shop and a chance of a review on the blog, and we can even chat about arranging album signings and stuff for them instore. Same deal as before, paid 3 months upfront, and every penny from every sale goes right back to the label. Good deal right? No hassles, no hidden charges, just one wee payment, and you can also be sure that every single penny we make goes right back into the very scene you are part of, making it bigger, and better for everyone involved! Oh and for the record, any bands who donated to our HUB fund campaign at the end of last year, will get this deal for stocking items free for the first six months(for labels) or year (for bands), as well as whatever pledge we have to give you too!

More details for how you can get involved, help us out with what we are doing, or how to sign up to stock your stuff with us, will be live online over this weekend, so stay tuned for that! This is the first big step for us so get in on the ground floor while you can, things are just about to get interesting.

More news coming soon here.

Hamell on Trial - Nice and Sleazy - Glasgow - 02/07/14

This is not a photo of Ed Hamell.
It's an egg
No Ed Hamells were harmed in the taking of this.
No audience members enjoyment of
the performance was impacted on either.

Three songs in and I want to kill the guy standing in front of me.

I mean really kill him.

Two songs in and I was considering choking him out or maybe donkey punching the fucker without indulging in the anal sex part of it.

Three songs in and my head is filled with homicidal rage that storms behind the rictus smile that I am trying to maintain.

There he goes drunkenly swaying to the right obscuring my vision again meaning that I have to compensate with a mirror sway to the left to catch a glimpse of Hamell.

Then he hitches to the left and I pistol whip my head to the right to compensate.

It’s been going on since the punch drunk sleep deprived Ed Hamell took to the stage.

I could move, but on one side is a group of people blocking me in and on the other is a space that would allow me to have the clear view of an amp.

There’s some momentary respite when he bends down from the waist and takes a photograph of his shoes with his mobile phone.

He’s apparently the weeble that wobbles but refuses fall down.

The patron saint of drunks is holding him up.

Look, don’t ask me what he was doing with the phone.

The first time that I would have had a clear and unrestricted view of the stage he distracts me with his strange need to photograph his feet.

Maybe he was focussing in on the laces and he was going to send it to someone with the message ‘look, I tied them myself’.

Meanwhile I can hear the master of the raconteurs conducting a verbal assault on the audience as he thrashes away at his guitar with all of the subtlety of a teenage boy whose hand appears to be super glued to his cock.

When I do manage to see the stage there he stands with his eyes rolled into the back of his head and firing out words of street gutter wisdom like an amphetamine fuelled auctioneer that wants to sell you the truth.

He is magnificently out there on his own, figurative and literally.

The one man show that delivers something that no one else is looking to put out there.

If you are a fan then you will know the score.

It’s the bar fly blues filtered through the bowery punk scene.

The alcohol drenched debauched dreams of Bukowski are punching it out with narcotic reality of Jim Carroll’s New York streets.

There’s some Lenny Bruce delivering schoolboy smutty jokes in there that gleefully challenges the audience not to smile in puerile delight to.

It’s as they say, all good.

Even better would be if I could see him, and at that Halleluiah, he stumbles a foot and a half to his right and stays there.

For maybe a minute there he is.

Hamell on fire.

Then the obligatory mobile phone is raised by another audience member to capture the moment, but instead of holding it in front of his own face he has his arm stretched out and is holding it in front of mine and I have the pleasure of watching the show on what must be a three by five inch screen.

The quality is fantastic.

At a rough guess maybe it has a bazillion pixels.

In fact he holds it aloft for so long maybe I could fuckin count them.

I am so happy for him that he can secure these memories through the latest high tech gadget and store them away to masturbate over at a later date.

Oh wait a minute.

That’s a lie.

I've spent a portion of the night looking at a neck and now I’m watching a miniature Hamell and misanthropy is sitting like a monkey on my back.

Is this really the live music experience now?

The performance itself is a juggernaut one.

Get in the way and he will roll right over you and that is as it should be.

Dance, start a mosh pit, strip naked and swing from the beams and I will cheer you on, and maybe even participate, but please just stop with the mobile phones.

Even apply the time worn everything in moderation rule.

Take a few photographs and enjoy yourself.

Just for the love of God stop and lift your head up and look around you.

While the camera is storing the moment in time you missed it, and so did I, and that is unforgivable.

Meanwhile the show goes on with some tracks from his latest release ‘Happiest man in the world’ added to the set that easily hold their own against the much loved songs from previous outings.

Bearing his soul after the break up of his marriage sees him in a contemplative mood on the material, and unlike that Robin Thicke fella I doubt Hamells ex wife is looking to secure a restraining order on hearing it.

There’s an acceptance of the present that sits well with his casting of his eye on a future that he fundamentally understands will be alright.

The man certainly has a way with words.

There’s no doubt about that.

He is the great communicator.

The machine gun fire of the delivery simply can’t take away the poetic eloquence of the delivery.

Neither can the jokes that he casts out seemingly at random throughout the set.

The stage antics and the jokes are just window dressing hanging around the meat of the performance, and what a performance it is.

When he opens up to the audience and asks for requests it may be akin to voluntarily walking into the lions den, but you could never claim that Ed is anything but fearless.

The broad Glaswegian accents that he is struggling to understand roar out the options with one man making it his life mission to ensure that Pussy is sung.

Ed obliges as expected.

His intro to the song touches on how it came about after watching an episode of the Sopranos and an enthusiastic woman takes it upon herself to educate him on how Alabama 3 provided the theme song.

None of it makes any sense at all to him as she slurs the music lesson at him, but she is undaunted with the communication breakdown and continues as the belle of her own ball.

Ed takes it on the chin, rolls with it and comes back with the knockout blow that is Pussy.

Exhilaratingly is a word used often by reviewers, but it is apt.

It’s an exhilarating performance from start to finish and as we all lean into the home stretch I doubt anyone could lay claim to not having a blast.

Even the guy who took a photograph of his shoes must have had the time of his life.

I mean why not?

He seen Ed Hamell and woke up this morning to find that a record of his feet being at the show is now preserved forever.

Bottom line is that Hamell on Trial is a force of nature that has a bleeding heart attitude pinned to its sleeve, and while he may be out there breaking ground where angels fear to tread it is a damn fact that the world needs people like him to do that.

If this was the sort of review that awarded stars then I’m giving his six out of five.

He’s back later in the year as part of the Edinburgh Fringe.

You know what to do.

The Bonnevilles

With MOJO here in the UK bestowing the band with a 4/5 review and pretty much everyone on the blues/garage rock circuit getting all hot and bothered about the band it is with great pleasure to tell everyone that I've got them booked for a show this Thursday (27/03/14) in Glasgow.

(Click here for invite page details.)

The gig is in the 13th Note and support will be provided by The Brutes and Geek Maggot Bingo.

Apart from MOJO, the critical acclaim keeps rolling in with Dan Hegarty of RTE giving the bands latest hitting the number six spot in the Top 100 Irish Albums of 2012. Then the Irish Times gave them a 4 out of 5 and said “…grief lurks over their second album like a leaden spectre. McGibbonʼs whiskey-soaked voice is a powerful tool… Occasionally recalling the shady stalk of contemporary artists such as Dan Sartain…”

High praise indeed.

Incognito Magazine placed 10,000 in the top for the year, while More Than Music jumped in with an 8 out of 10 review while saying “Imagine a two-headed fuzz delta garage punk fusion that comes on like an incestuous relationship between The Black Keys and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion channelled via Rory Gallagher, Howlinʼ Wolf and Willie Dixon.“

Alternative Ulster Magazine were quick to follow withy ‘Itʼs dense, itʼs thrashy, and oh-so-dark. While giving it an 8 out of 10, and
Red Wine On A Sunday stated that “Folk Art & The Death Of Electric Jesus sounds like the The Rolling Stones’ Exile On Mainstreet on steroids”

And Rick Saunders of Deep Blues lumped even more praise on the band with “The Bonnevilles are one of the very best of the post- (early) Black Keys/white stripes-influenced bands…deep dark punk and stylish hard roots music with good pop-sense & without a whiff of retro poly stink”

As press goes they seem to be able to do no wrong, but it’s testament to their own skills that they are also seen to be a band that can walk the walk and not just talk the talk.

See you at the bar.

(Sort of) Band of Skulls review - Queen Margaret Union - 24/03/14 (Glasgow)

Mark Hickey unconscious circa 2012 after Band of Skulls

The last time that I seen Band of Skulls was at the insistence of a mate called Mark Hickey.

It was in 2012 and the night is still partially a blur as getting a train to Glasgow from Kilmarnock descended into a bit of a pub crawl with each of us slowly succumbing to temptations put in our way by the gods of bevvy.

So with that night as a warning on how not to attend a gig we decided prior to this one that we would wear our sensible hats and meet up early and make a more sedate trip to Glasgow to see the band in the Queen Margaret Union.

(A venue that has the most unrock and roll name ever.)

And then that’s where things went wrong.

Meeting early really just means there’s a surplus of idle time that has to be filled with something, and with all the museums closed we ended up in a bar.

To our ever lasting shame we hadn't even managed to make it out of Kilmarnock.

And then with Matt Scott – the third musketeer - running a bit late we made another mistake and thought it was a good idea to sample some craft beers.

Now my understanding of craft beers is that they are normally made by people who shouldn't be encouraged to go near a kitchen for hygiene safety reasons, and I think I have a good grasp of the concept now as the one that we sampled tasted as if it had been left to ferment in a bath with some tramps socks, but we gamely drank it, and another and another.

Once Matt arrived we were at the stage of thinking that introducing him to a pint of cheesy cock, or whatever it was called, was a good idea.

He grimaced as it past his lips and after finishing it had to wash the taste out of his mouth with a more traditional lager.

It really is a disgusting drink.

Irene who I hadn't seen in what
must be twenty years.

Mark was still trying to assume a degree of responsibility for delivering a smooth night of rock and roll for us all and managed to bravely extracted us from the bar with the insistence that we really should catch a bus.

We missed it though, and Matt worked out that in the time that we would have to wait we could probably squeeze one more drink in at the nearest hostelry rather than stand around in the cold.

He’s always a man with a plan.

Usually a crap one, but at least he has a plan.

Now as everyone knows when working out drinking time it makes a big difference if it’s a pint or a short and Mark and me decided it was now time that we introduced bourbon and vodka to the night and ended up having a few rather than a one solitary pint.

It would be fair to say in hindsight that this was when we started to tempt fate, and it was with a bit of an effort that we managed to pull back from the bar fly precipice and actually catch a bus.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on what frame of mind you are in, it stopped outside another bar in Glasgow, and as my bladder was doing an impression of a space hopper ready to burst my need to use their toilet was an excuse for yet another drink.

It wasn't looking good now.

The Band of Skulls trip was now touch and go, but again we rallied and jumped on the subway and made it to the venue around the same time as the band took to the stage.

And now here is the review bit for the Band of Skulls fans.

Aye, sounded very good, but as the floor has no incline in the venue, and we were at the back, I couldn't see anything other than the backs of people heads.

Tonight Matt Scott and me are
The Jesus and Marychain

Another friend had a similar experience at the Roger Daltrey/Wilco Johnson gig in London.

You don’t just go to hear a band, but to see them to, and remove one or the other from the night does impact on the entertainment on offer.

So that wasn’t too good at all.

Bit rubbish really, but thankfully the company made up for it and while I couldn't say anything negative about the bands performance it is doubtful I’ll bother attending anything in the QMU again.

It all seems a bit pointless really.

We wandered about a bit trying to find some sort of vantage point and ultimately gave up and went to stand near the bar, and then it was finished.

I was a bit bemused and I am sure the set in the Arches was longer, but maybe not.

However I doubt Band of Skulls are going to give Springsteen a run for his money in the endurance stakes any time soon.

After the show we managed to take in another drink in Ashton Lane before making our way to the city centre where we squeezed in yet another in Pivo Pivo before catching a late bus back to the ‘shire.

Ultimately a great night out that had little to do with Band of Skulls and nothing to do with the QMU.

Andy Kershaw, Presales, and the gigs that weren't to be.

A few days ago I noticed a comment posted on social media from Andy Kershaw about two of his gigs being cancelled.

The reason for the cancellation was a lack of presales and the promoter had pulled them.

Ooooft.

No one likes that do they?

Andy Kershaw will have had an itinerary sorted and there will be financial forecasts done that are based on the events planned.

Now any notes on that will be lying like confetti at his feet.

It’s really not just a case of turning up and then leaving a little later in the night.

There really is far more to touring than that.

Travel plans and accommodation may have already been made, and if so then it’s possible that there would have been a few phrases that would make a sailor blush that passed his lips when news came in about the shows being pulled.

Then there are the venues that will now be left with holes in their schedules, and knowing venues - and I do - this is never something they are very happy about.

If you were to put a scale on being unhappy, and one was how you feel when your biscuit drops off into your tea, and ten is when you are so unhappy that you are contemplating breaking the kneecaps of the person who has annoyed you, then the cancellation of a show draws a reaction that hovers around eight from a venue.

And without a doubt the promoter will be wondering why (s)he even bothered, (although apparently there wasn't a great deal of actual promoting done and some blame may need to be shouldered here) and I fully expect will now be ducking and diving around looking to stitch a pigs ear out of what could have been a silk purse.

See what I mean about no one liking this?

And ultimately let us not forget that there are those who did commit to going to the shows and are now left wondering why they even bothered to leave their cash resting in the account of someone else for a while.

None of it is very good is it?

There are a couple of reasons for the poor response to the tickets going on sale for any event though.

One is a lack of promotion.

It is a very real issue.

It doesn't take a great deal of common sense to wrap your head around how keeping the shows secret equates to no one attending, but the other that will have had an impact is that sadly people are simply waiting until the last minute before deciding what they are going to do, and while they have every right to do so this lack of commitment to an event leaves the promoter, the venue and the artists(s) in a very difficult position.

For instance I have been at the sharp end more than once of presales for a show failing to reach double figures and it takes a financially suicidal leap of faith not to cancel.

In the main my never say die attitude has often resulted in a successful night for everyone involved, but it hasn't always been the case, and I have put on gigs that have had acts play to little more than the bar staff of the venue, a few random strangers and the obligatory hardcore fan who always attends the bands shows with the full tally of people attending maybe being five.

The end of the evening ends up with the venue being extremely unhappy, the artist or band(s) being dejected, and for myself, well I slope off under a cloud questioning my taste in music and with my pockets far lighter than I would care to mention as people may weep.*

Basically it’s all just too depressing to contemplate.

In the case of the Andy Kershaw dates I fully expect they would have ultimately been fine as he is pulling an audience wherever he goes, but it would seem to be that the combination of the new-found apathy from the public about committing to shows, and a dearth of any real promotion hammered the nails into the coffin.

So while the promotion side of things is nothing much to do with the public there does need to be some partial responsibility taken.

Today I have seen posts from people who are a tad annoyed that they are unable to attend a show that is sold out.

None of them claim they were short of funds and couldn't buy a ticket and equally I've not seen anyone say they didn't know about it, but instead it’s been stated more than once that ‘I was just going to pay on the door’.

Not now they’re not, but let’s just forget for a moment that this is a sold out show and consider that it is this attitude that leads to gigs being cancelled.

After all how are the artists, the venue or the promoter to know what anyone’s intentions are?

If a ticket hasn't been secured by anyone then there’s no guarantee that it wont be left on the shelf come the night of the show.

Strip everything down and consider that you have booked a venue, arranged a backline and pa, sorted out accommodation for the acts, paid for tickets, posters and fliers to be printed and then with one week to go there has only been six tickets sold.

How many would seriously hang in there with a hope and a prayer?

If we were in a classroom I don’t expect that a forest of hands would be waiving about.

So what is the solution then?

Well actually promoting a show is one, but committing to attending it is another, and I don’t mean clicking on the attending option on a facebook invite page either.

Go and buy a ticket.

*I'm not a big fish in the promoting pond and I just randomly put shows on of artists that I like.

It's never been a money making venture and I either break even or lose. If there is money left over I normally share it among supports and on a really good night buy merchandise from them so that it goes back into their pot.

Anyhow, here’s my next gig.

Obligatory facebook invite page link.

It’s the Bonnevilles and while I could say they are fantastic I’ll leave it to you to have a listen and see for yourself.

Mojo seems to like them.

Also here’s some Andy Kershaw dates.

Do yourself a favour and buy a ticket.

April

4^th Menia Bridge – Victoria Hotel

5^th Tywyn – Magic Lantern

12^th Colchester – headgate Theatre

May

29th Bridgewater – Arts Centre.

 

Space / Republica - King Tuts Wah Wah Hut - 18/03/14 (Glasgow)

For many the Space and Republica double header tour is all about nostalgia.

It’s an opportunity to relive the good times from the late nineties by a certain type of music fan that worshipped at the altar of top of the pops.

And of course that’s fine, but within minutes of Republica taking to the stage it became very obvious that no one had sent the band the memo outlining that they were to do a by the numbers set.

Instead here they were storming out of the gates and sounding as hungry as any band of young guns looking to make a name for themselves.

It’s probably a bit of a surprise to some that the pop element of the bands sound is left sitting in the backseat while the punk attitude is put firmly up front and given the steering wheel, and it must feel like a slap in the face.

The equivalent of being shook hard while the band shouts in their faces that they need to wake up and smell the coffee.

It’s pretty exhilarating to be honest.

If the intent of the band was to blow apart all the preconceived ideas that some may have held then they do it in fine style.

The hits are played, but it doesn’t sound like they do them to pacify anyone, but purely because there’s still plenty of fuel in the materials tanks and they deserve to be set loose to burn off some energy.

A common problem for bands that are looking to make a return into the spotlight is that fans are very rarely appreciative of their current endeavours and just want the hits of yesteryear to be played.

So when they try and introduce anything circa now the set can grind horribly to a halt, but Republica effortlessly managed to slip in songs from last years ‘Christiana Obey EP’ with no noticeable blip in the energy flowing back and forth between them and the crowd.

Not many bands can do that, and it’s to their credit that they make it appear an easy task to carry out.

It was all a bit of a revelation for me as I was there to see Space, but next time Republica come to town I’m there, and I doubt I will be the only one.

Space are less of a nostalgic blast from the past as they never really made an effort to fit into a specific era, and instead just existed in their own little bubble of sound, a sound that isn’t in or out of fashion, that doesn’t sound dated or even fresh for that matter, it just is.

Space are simply just Space, and it’s good to see them back.

It’s also very obvious from the reaction of the sold out crowd that I am not alone in feeling that the balance of the universe is now restored with the bands return.

With drive-in adverts playing on what looked to be a large white sheet draped onto the back of Tuts wall, and a countdown involved that gave us all a minute by minute update on when they were due to appear, the excitement was ramped up a bit and then when they did step up onto the stage it was to a heroes welcome.

Before a note had been struck the band had already won a sizable portion of the crowd over.

And then it got better, and better and better.

For portions of the show it was like singalongaspace as everyone roared out the words to the familiar material and gamely made the effort to mouth along to the songs from Attack of the Mutant 50ft Kebab.

There was a bit of skanking, but that may have just been me, but who cares as it was a sort of a let it all hang out night by that point anyway.

Tommy getting down into the face of the crowd to have them display their own vocal talents on Female of the Species was enthusiastically received to the extent that when the band decided to do an encore they did it all again.

A mate, Gerry Corr, was suitably impressive as he sang out the refrain, and while I am very pleased that he managed the grab the opportunity my chance of being picked up by a random music scout was cruelly dashed when Tommy offered me the mic and a drunken fella leaned in over my shoulder to ask if he could get the red wig from the stage.

Cue Tommy buggering off and my chance was gone.

My dream of being plucked from obscurity was stamped into the dusts and I was left with the understanding that after the show I would have to return to me everyday life.

Heartbreaking!

Bloody heartbreaking!

Then again I’m a shit singer so crushed fantasies aside I picked myself up and got back into it all.

You know those gigs that you just want to go on for ever and ever?

This was one of them.

I’m still buzzing, and as first nights of a tour goes, I think Space can consider that the bar has been set high.

So bring on the rest of the tour, a decent level of sales of the album, another album and another tour and another album and another tour ad infinitum.

Photo by Amanda Robinson

The Computers - Classic Grand Glasgow (04/12/13)

There's not a month goes past that I don't take issue with someone who claims that there is no good music out there any more.

Of course there is.

In fact there's so much of it I can't keep up.

What people really mean to say is 'I expect there is no good music out there any more as I stopped listening a decade ago, and therefore can't express a valid opinion on the matter, but I'm going to anyway as talking about things we know fuck all about is the modern day affliction that I am most comfortable with'.

Sadly those who proclaim that utter balderdash (I'm going to use balderdash more to try and wean myself off from saying utter shite in a thick Scots dialects) are the same ones who will refuse to take a recommendation from you as they feel it's always better to live in ignorance than accept being wrong.

So my thrusting The Computers in their face – in an obviously none sexual way – isn't going to change their world, but in the words of the big man in the vest 'frankly my dear, I don't give a damn' as last night I seen my latest and bestest favourite new band.

All hail The Computers.

These are the guys who show up all those people who sit at bars saying that the supports are never any good ,and never worth levering their fat backsides off a barstool for, as barefaced liars whose opinions are worth as much as Lib Dem election promise (Yep. I'm not forgetting that one).

Opening for the equally fabulous Rocket From The Crypt they got it going on early.

With a firm understanding of why rock and roll always need a little bit of soul attached they plundered the back history of music with a great deal of swaggering panache.

If there is any band right now who could give the Jim Jones Revue a run for their money then it is these guys, and as a fan of Jimmy boy that's not an opinion lightly aired.

There's no holding back from them, and while some people have the chops to deliver a solid show musicianship wise, but fall short in providing a bit of showmanship, you couldn't accuse this band of slacking on either.

From the stage to stomping across the bar to climbing up to meet and greet those at the back of the venue it would be hard to consider that anyone who was there was not impressed.

Studied indifference for the audience isn't their bag.

It's instead one big fucked up take on a fifties hop, but only where the punch bow has been laced with enough amphetamines to cure a narcoleptic.

When James Brown* said that he wasn't comfortable with being named the hardest working man in rock n roll and to find someone else to carry the torch for him I doubt he considered that it would be a bunch of delinquents from Exeter, but there you have it.

The torch is in safe hands.

This is exactly the sort of band who deserve their very own review rather than being tagged onto that of the headlining act.

The Computers....I bow to your magnificence.

*James Brown didn't say that and I made it up.

Fishbone photographs. Linked with kind permission.

Facebook

Bad Touch - Down and Out

Not that long ago I had tucked my head down and pushed through a long week that had culminated in a very long day.

It was one of those weeks from hell where you run to stand still and by the end of it you still haven't a clue if it was worth all the effort.

So when you have one of them we all know that there's only a few options available to us as a response.

One is to crawl into bed and weep long and hard into your pillow.

That's the pussy option.

Another is to head to the nearest bar and dive headlong into a weekend that would make certain scenes from the Motley Crue biography seem tame in comparison.

That's the self destruct option

The other is just to immerse yourself in some good old fashioned rock and roll washed down with pints and a tiny bit of debauchery.

That's the letting your hair down option, the semi-sensible one, and of course it's also the one I went for.

It must be an age thing as it wasn't long ago that option two was the only one that I would entertain, but with age comes great wisdom, and horrendous hangovers, so more often than not now I'm the letting my hair down option guy.

So anyway with that on my mind I had a look through the listing sites and skipped past all the indie bands and jumped on the Quireboys playing in the Garage.

A guaranteed good time band who always deliver.

So one thing led to another and by the time I had reached the venue I had missed all of Bad Touch and most of Bonafide, but while slightly disappointed at that it's fair to say that The Quireboys were everything I needed, and more, to de-stress myself.

As a bonus I also picked up a copy of 'Down and Out' by Bad Touch along with the latest release from The Quireboys, and it's touch and go who has been getting the most plays since then.

It has to be said that the young traditional sounding heavy rock bands aren't that common now.

So it's refreshing to hear one so good.

Solidly melodic they are neither too soft or too hard.

You couldn't lump them in with the AOR guys or the thrash bands, but rather slip them in with those who put the emphasis on the rock rather than anything else.

There's no real downside to consider, and while there's nothing earth shatteringly new about what the band are doing I could ask detractors to show me one genre of music that is actually throwing up anything new anyway.

Today it has pretty much all been done, and what we should be looking to praise are those who get that, and just go out and do what they do to the best of their ability and entertain us by doing it well.

It's when you come to that realization that you can easily see the worth in Bad Touch.

The band pull exceptionally well together with the rhythm, the lead, the bass and the drums all getting their moments to shine as they build the framework to hang some sweet vocals on.

It's going to be interesting to see where they go from here.

With a good producer at the helm and the time and finances to do the album they can probably hear in their heads It's entirely possible that they could take mainland Europe by storm as that's where the gods of rock still hold sway.

Yeah. I'm going to be keeping an eye on this band, and if good rockin' is what gets your motor running then so should you.

Website - http://www.badtouchrocks.co.uk/the-band

Facebook - www.facebook.com/badtouchrocks

Dixie Fried - A Ways to go

For some reason that no one really understands it's a bare bones fact that Scotland has a deeply rooted love of American roots music.

From Bluegrass to the Blues there doesn't seem to have been a year that passes since the sixties where musicians haven't gravitated to the sounds that our transatlantic cousins have been making with the intentions of emulating what they hear.

I would personally say that much of the music mirrors our own working class environments, and this is why we have such a warm affinity for it, but I digress and while that could be a debate for another day, because right now, right this very second, I have Dixie Fried on with their 'A Ways To Go' CD grinding out the sound of the Delta, and it's pretty sublime.

There's no attempt to make this release a polished affair, but instead it would appear that the intent is to look to create a more organic testament to the long standing sound of the Blues.

If that is the case then the duo have certainly managed to do it, and do it without sounding like mere copyists.

From the beginning to the end there's a push to maintain some sort of honest authenticity to the over all sound.

Not that this means that they are trying too hard to make it all a facsimile of music fashioned decades ago, but instead that they comfortably securing the heart and soul of whatever the blues is within the songs in the present.

A harder task to do than say.

The most honest critique to make is that it's all about how it feels, and let's be honest about this, it's concentrating on how the music feels rather than how it sounds that allows musicians to put some magic into the grooves.

Very often people complain about the dearth of good music that is out there in the world, but they are wrong, and it is this sort of release that I often direct them towards to counteract their misjudged views.

In the parlance I can say it's dang good.

Website - http://dixiefried.co.uk/

Bandcamp - http://dixiefried.bandcamp.com/

In conversation with Jim Dead.

Tell us a bit about yourself Jim.

Early days are always the best place to start.

So when did you first feel drawn to music, and how did that then move on to you creating your own?

I guess it’s an old cliché, but I remember flicking through my parents’ record collection … it was quite an eclectic collection, too. I don’t suppose that I really became immersed in music until my early teens.

Then I was obsessed.

Spending hours putting together mixes for friends, when not sifting through the tapes and LPs that belonged to my parents and liberating the best tracks from their obscure and often disappointing albums.

I was the one in school preaching music. While I was sorta like the weird kid who liked ‘Heavy Metal’, folks were tuning into the mixes I was giving them.

We started hanging out together and eventually we got a band going.

We were dreadful. Couldn’t really play, but we stuck with it and we made quite a noise.

When you did start performing did you have a clear idea of what you were wanting to do, or like so many others has your experience been one that flows and reflects your own personal current tastes? The reason I ask is because I know so many solo artists who initially started off in pop punk acts as teenagers and then as their tastes in music widened they gravitated to more introspective ways to express themselves?

It’s been quite a journey to get to this point. I sang and occasionally played guitar in a fair few rock bands since 1997.

I was influenced by pretty much all of the alternative rock that I had been discovering since Nirvana.

Blind Melon, Screaming Trees, Jane’s Addiction etc.

Among the racks of CDs I had some Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Johnny Cash and Tom Waits and I started paying a great deal of attention to alternative Country around the end of 1998 or so after a friend had introduced me to Whiskeytown’s Strangers Almanac, American Music Club’s Mercury and Richard Buckner’s Bloomed.

Soon after that I was hooked on Joe Henry and soon that became the music I was immersed in.

That was shaping how I wrote songs and I brought that influence in to the bands. Lyrically I began exploring different themes – telling stories … telling my story and such things. It would be fair to say that I started going down a different path.

I wanted to create something dusty. Just strip the songs right back.

So far you have been self releasing your music. How is that? Do you like the level of artistic control it brings you?

How about financially. Does it feel restrictive in a sense?

I really don’t think there is an alternative. It’s a very rewarding process, really. Even if it does have some challenges. Being able to release what I want is, well, pretty nice. I mean, I could sit on the floor in my kitchen and record something.

Water running, some pots clanging and me telling some story and have that on an album and EP without any worry that someone somewhere at a label has decided to make an executive decision and discard it as useless.

It can be a challenge, though.

Especially from a financial point of view, cause I’m not really business minded.

That whole budgeting for recording, printing, the distribution, etc … it’s tough. I don’t think in terms of how many days I need in a studio, I think about how many songs I have. But I’ve been lucky enough to have met folks who have been willing to give their time and talent, too – I don’t reckon Go Tell, Ten Fires and I’m Not Lost would have turned out like they did without others investing in the projects as much as I did.

The last six months has seen you play some solid shows that are drawing some attention your way. Are you pleased about this?

Absolutely, yeah. It’s nice to know that there are people out there who not only appreciate what I’m doing, but actually get it.

They can buy into it.

Maybe it’s because I’ve played the right gigs, I don’t know.

Over the last few years I’ve been lucky enough to meet folks who are passionate about music and they’ve become real supporters of what I’m doing and they’ve been kind enough to write some generous words. I’ll not throw names at you, but these folks know who they are and their words mean a great deal. Cause I know that there’s integrity behind them.

Do you have a loose career plan? I hear people saying things like I am giving it five years and if I get nowhere them I am done. It sounds very much like it's not so much about the music when it is put like that.

I wouldn't say so, no. I haven't thought about making a career as a musician since ... well, I'd say since the early days of being in a band. I think it last crossed my mind in the early 2000s with my old band.

We were very much riding a wave for a while and talking about getting a label, etc. But we recorded an album and I don't think any of us was motivated enough to do anything with it.

Hell, we didn't even take it to sell at gigs.

I wouldn't say that going out on my own has never been about a career though.

I started doing this thing as a way to get stuff out my system and it evolved from that.

I've been lucky enough to stumble into some great opportunities - my songs have found their way into the right circles and at a grassroots level I've picked up some good reviews and supporters along the way - but, it's exhausting trying to make people listen.

I know that's an issue for a lot of musicians I know.

Maybe because of what we do? I don't know.

It's difficult to gain an audience. Don't get me wrong, I like to play these songs, but I can't always rely on friends to come support me all the time ...

So, while I don't have a career plan, I guess I kinda have something. I'll continue to write and record, but I think I need to think long and hard about removing myself from playing to an audience.

Have you any plans for touring? Does the idea of slinging your guitar on your back and heading out into the world sound appealing?

It's something I thought about, yeah ... and I was very close to putting it together last year.

half did.

Some emails to venues down south went unanswered and I kept looking at other venues.

Then other things cropped up and I started writing and recording what eventually became I'm Not Lost.

Right now what do you think about the musical landscape locally? There's been a great deal of discussions among artists and those who work in venues about how tough things are getting. Do you agree that live music is becoming an increasingly hard sell, and if so what are your thoughts?

I don't know. I've never been convinced that Glasgow had a great live music scene.

Let's be honest, there's this great tradition of having live music in pretty much every possible nook and cranny within the city, but whether people are actually interested enough to listen is another matter.

Most of the time there's a chance that the music just aint that good.

Does that constitute what's always considered as a vibrant musical landscape?

Don't get me wrong, I've heard a load of good bands and solo folks and some of my favourite acts are indies.

There's also a few great nights out there that you know you can rely on for a solid line-up.

But I don't think the landscape is in good shape.

It needs a shake.

I don't have the answers. I have ideas. But I've seen a few folks try to create something unique and see it crumble because there's too many free mediocre nights out there.

Nights where you can hear Paul Weller off-cuts, Wonderwall or Brown Eyed Girl.

Website - http://www.jimdead.com/

Merch - Music - http://jimdead.bandcamp.com/