Thursday 29 November 2012

I'll try not to mention the van.

We're in the van, again. When I was younger, dreaming of playing music for a living, I didn't anticipate 'the van'. I will be sat in this cold, hard seat for about 6 hours today. I will be onstage (too hot) for about 45 minutes. I'm more passenger than musician, it seems. That's not a reference to me playing bass.

Yesterday, we were supposed to be practicing at Brighton Electric studios for 6 hours, to make up for missed practice during Jeb and Trewin's Berlin jaunt (the final mixes from which should soon be with us, pending judgement). However, with delays of faulty backing tracks, broken down vans (again), Seryn forgetting something right when we thought we'd sorted everything (again), and the band next door to us playing so loud that we could actually forgive them on the assumption that they'd deafened themselves, it didn't really end up as productively as we'd hoped. The phrase 'one of those days' comes to mind. What could go wrong, did go wrong.

STILL, I for one am glad we got a day like that out of the way, considering what we're up to now. Hopefully whoever's in charge of the 'Phoria luck computer' has called the helpdesk and been told to turn it off and turn it on again, to see if that solves the problem.

Hopefully.

So, 'Get to the point, Tim.'

Well, we're on our way to visit the grand Metropolis studios in West London. 'Oh, that sounds nice!', you think to yourself. We're going to have a nice cup of Bovril and a chat (like a conversation, but with more liquid beef) with Grammy award winning producer Dom Morley. 'Oh, that sounds nice!', you think to yourself again, showing a slight lack of imagination.

Then, it's everything time. Big gig tonight! EP preview @ The Queen of Hoxton. We're going to play all the new tracks, and lots of exciting people will be there (including you, I hope). Come. Come. It will be, as your favourite celebrities so often say: 'as good as a ride on the best ship ever made.'

Only come in a van if you absolutely have to, though. That's my advice.

Tim

(EP PREVIEW! EP PREVIEW! TONIGHT AT QUEEN OF HOXTON, IN HOXTON! DON'T MAKE ME SAY IT AGAIN!)

Sunday 25 November 2012

Sunday is Funday, right?

Well looky-see if Sunday hasn't just rolled around again. Here it is, right on time (it's difficult for it to be late, as the time it occupies and its relation to all previous notions of 'the present' is defined only by itself on its own terms, making all talk of time obsolete and therefore all calendars and clocks redundant, but that's for another blog).
I thought I'd take a break from tea, pain au chocolat, and Ren and Stimpy to update you on what we've been up to.

Right now, everyone's focus is on Trewin's progress in Berlin, where he's been working with a producer on the final mix of the new EP. His updates include 'I've lost my wallet' and 'Berlin is in Germany'. He's mainly been communicating through phone calls to Jeb, which then filter through to the rest of the band and leave us with more questions than answers as to his whereabouts and wellbeing. It's business as usual, then.

Excited. We're very excited to hear the new mix.

Ed and I have been working on our new practice studio, painting it a glorious virginal white while eating McDonald's pound saver burgers and watching The Simpsons. We've just got to get some decent flooring in and we're good to go.

Excited. We're very excited to play in it.

Jeb left today to join Trewin in old hurly-Berlin. He started talking to me, earlier this week, about his stress in getting up at 3am to get to the airport, and perhaps not getting to sleep until 8/9am. It was then only a blink until he remembered that that's how he lives, anyway, so he had nothing to worry about.

Well, that's that. Not particularly comprehensive, but, hey, it's Sunday.

I'm going to recline.

Tim

P.S. Don't forget, it's our EP preview at the Queen of Hoxton in...Hoxton, this Thursday. Tickets are going to be available on the door, and we're going to play the whole EP, with new videos and all. We'll see you there, yes? Yes.

Tuesday 13 November 2012

I'm typing this on my phone whilst watching Baywatch Nights.

News: Trewin's off to Berlin this week to oversee the final mix of Bloodworks. I was going to go with him, but a) I have 3p, and b) however many times I might suggest it, Trewin never seems to want to remove his vocals, and all music, from the tracks and replace them with the sound of me humming television theme tunes, entreating the listener to scream the various titles into their cups, creating what I like to call 'Cuppy-screams'. If no-one's going to listen to my ideas, I'll just stay at home.

I haven't seen the others since Shepton. Lucky people. I think I've just about recovered. It seems the gig was well received, which is nice to know.
We'll revel in the pleasure of each other's company tonight, though - we're playing the Green Door Store in Brighton with the very cool EXITMUSIC. I'm in the mood for LOUD.

So, new music getting finished, and a gig to boot!

What a happy tuesday.

Tim

Green Door Store, Brighton, tonight tuesday 13/11/12, with EXITMUSIC

Saturday 10 November 2012

Shepton Mallet Rock City.

Here we are, then. It's 'morning' again (that's according to Phoria Mean Time, it's actually...afternoon or something. All I know is that I've just this second woken up, and that's never a good thing.)
Last night was Shepton Mallet digital arts festival, which we played with previously mentioned fellow Beatituder Cate Ferris. It was a great gig, just so you know. Thanks to all who came, thanks to all who worked, thanks to all who played, thanks to all who thanked, and thanky thanks thank gig mallet.
Right, that happened because last night was 'one of those', where Seryn, Cate and I were scouting around Ciara's Beatitudes palace at 6am for another bottle of red wine. That sounds like fun, doesn't it? Well, it was. Especially the bit about the red wine. That was the bit you just read. Pay attention.
We even kept Ciara and husband Bram (husbram) awake until something o'clock talking about weird stuff we liked. They had to leave at 9am today to, you know, do 'real person' stuff, foolishly leaving their beautiful home in the hands of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...5 people? I think there are 5 of us. No...6. Unless you wish to personify the foul taste in my boozified gob, in which case there are 73 persons here, and an antelope. We're running low on tea.
So far we've stripped the walls, cooked the cat, and eaten everything under the sink. That's about as disgustingly destructive as we can think of being at this time in the morning, but the day is young, and so is Seryn. I think we're going to lock the doors and christen Fort Phoria by blowing it up with us inside, screaming with regret.
So, yes! Let the Beatitudes bells ring! Not too loud, though. I've just woken up.

Tim

(Barely any cats were cooked in the writing of this...thing.)

Normal, band based service will resume this week.

Friday 2 November 2012

...and tonights venue is...

The Tram and Social in Tooting! Congratulations, Tram and Social in Tooting, you get to have us play!

If you're London bound, then come. It's The Tram and Social (in Tooting).


Achieve.

All milky and lava-lamp-ish the street-lights reflecting on my big red car bonnet as I curl it round at night all sound and echoing engine...