Thursday, February 22, 2007

Bat For Lashes, Brundenell Social Club, 18/02/07

Bat For Lashes was a gig I was uncertain about, but, being only a few doors up from my house, how could I pass? The problem is that its all a Bjorky for my liking, and the problem with Bjork is not the music but the fans, and also, Bjork herself. Musically however the album is well produced, full of interesting florishes and the high standard of musicianship makes up for the fact there are songs about wizards and lyrical refrences to "We're dancers in the dark".

Does it work live? After opening with the excellent first single Trophy, I have my doubts, and after being informed in a South coast accent about having too big a curry for dinner I'm almost wishing that Bjork was here instead. But this is early in the set and things pick up quickly. The band are multi-intrumental and clearly tallented, "Whats A Girl To Do" and "Sara" both benifiting from inventive touches. "Sara" especially stood, with Kahn taking centre stage to stamp out a beat on the mic'ed up floor using boot and a sturdy wooden staff, the sound of which filled the venues accoustics nicely.

An encore of new single Prescilla it was all over. I was left with the impression that I'd seen some imaginitive and well thought out musicianship and that live music in general would benifit if more bands stood up as well live as they did backed by studio wizzardry. For £6 it was a a value for money night out, the event was suprsingly well attended, its I'd much rather see Bat For Lashes play again than wait for Bjork to play in The Brundenell Social Club.

You can watch the new video for Prescilla here

Ha Ha, I'm Hobbling!

Bill Hicks was a great comedian, a visionary, but sometimes he played to the whims of his audience a little too much. People followed him a bit too closely for my liking and its very rare for someone to speak against him.


"I've never seen anyone on drugs get into a fight because its fucking impossible"
-I beg to differ

"Cigarettes contain carbon monoxide. Yeah well, so does my car and it still runs"
-You're not a car, you respire, you need that precious oxygen

"Whats the write about jogging? Left foot, right foot..."

And this is where I want to differ, because as my new crutches attest, there is a lot more to jogging than meets the eye. There are a few crucial things I should have learnt sooner rather than later, for example warming up. Some stretches vastly reduces the risk of damaging your muscles and joints.

This brings me onto the second point, support. Jogging shoes, unlike in my general held belief, are far more specialized than one would believe. A physiotherapist told me today than when running you put ten times your body weight in pressure on your joints.

Hence the crutches.

This is a first for me, and as a generally active guy I'm sure the restricted movement will come as a delight, and serve only to enhance my development into The Hyde Park Hobbler. The move to Leeds it seems has now got past the honeymoon phase and left me disabled and unpaid (Work are now two weeks behind in paying me). But being the optomisting guy I am I'm sure my various other plans will come into fruition...

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Can't Wait To Be On The Road Again...

I'm on the move again, I've relocated, finding work and accommodation far easier than I did in Dublin, to Leeds. Mountainous terrain, peculiar accents, crisp clean air, Leeds is a far departure. The first few days it has taken time to get used to friendliness from everyone, including the counter staff at Boots.

Living in the far too studenty district of Hyde Park, but at least its not Headingly, which is posh and studenty (Although I do frequently walk past purpose built student compound Opal Park, which is posh, studenty and paid for by daddykins).

This place is record buyers paradise, if only I had my record player. After fitting two ukuleles, a litre of Finlandia Vodka and some drainpipe trousers into my bag there wasn't much room for anything else, but this will be corrected in time. Again, I moved with no money and no job and found far better opportunity here then ever experienced in Liverpool. For a start, agencies where actually keen to take me on, even if it does mean countless telephone interviews and discussions concerning how I would meet sales targets. I'm working now in a coffee place, not exactly top brass stuff, but its over minimum wage, easy work, and just what I'd earn in a far more demanding job elsewhere. Plus, free Tea.

Someone has painted over my street sign so that it reads Rank Place, far too easy a joke. When moving into a house I'd remind people to look for things like mirrors, sinks, kitchen tables and lamps. My house has none of these things. Shaving is nigh on impossible, contact lense remove a opperational nightmare, but I'll survive (Only a two month lease).

So, a new city, new house and job, let the good times role, Lots of gigs lined up, Bat For Lashes, !!!, The Fall, Gwar, Arcade Fire, Howling Bells, good stuff. Working on a comedy script based in a sadly forgotten era, but more on that in a later date.

Till then, one must go and assimilate

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