Friday, February 12, 2010

we're only making plans for... blueneck

Blueneck plans...
so yeah...you might have noticed that we'll be touring europe again later in the year (see news item at blueneck.com) - we're currently booking up both tours but we're dead excited to be visiting some new places that we've not been to before. ie Poland, Croatia, Czech Republic etc.
Johnny is taking some leave for the next few months as he and Laura are about to produce a baby drummer. nice. so during that time We've decided to work on and produce an ep which we hope will be ready by the Summer time...coiniciding with some more live shows. I think going back into the studio is going to be a far more enjoyable experience this time around - I dont think , for this ep at least, that we'll be seeing a massive change in direction for the band or anything...but there may well be hints of what we have planned for album 3.
so yeah...i think 2010 is going to be a busy one...im looking forward to it..hopefully some of you are too.
dunk

Thursday, February 11, 2010

dunk's (yes mine) europe pt 2 - leipzig

...So off towards leipzig...this was going to be a long journey...especially due to the fact that our van was limited to 60mph!!!...something that the guys from Immanu El found pretty amusing....especially as they overtook us on the motorway about an hour into the journey!
checklist for the next tour...
a van that goes faster than 60mph
a van that has central locking that actually works
a van that has a heater that works properly
a van that has a cigarette lighter that works properly
a van that has a stereo that doesnt magically turn itself down
need i go on???

so yeah...a long drive...but we saw some beautiful wintery scenery...it was as if we were touring scandanavia or somewhere similar.
Leipzig is a lovely city...its a shame we didnt have time to explore it in detail...instead we went straight to the venue, Paris Syndrom, which is a beautifully designed building catering for art exhibitions, bands etc and also has a lovely cafe/bar.
Patrick was promoting the evening, and had obviously worked REALLY hard..he's a top guy and into some great music...he gave me some links to various projects he's involved in which im still yet to check but will be doing so this weekend when finally i have some time.
Now...once again me and my rude memory has forgotten the sound guy's name...im pretty sure it was tom...someone please remind me!!...anyway...he was fantastic..spent a lot of time making sure we were happy with the sound.whichfor once we really were. It was a great crowd this evening...they REALLY made us feel welcome and were very responsive. We even had the luxury of some visual accompaniment for the show...thanks Dirk. As always we ended with Revelations, but rather kindly we were asked to go back and play more...which we obliged with ...and played Judas! Judas! and amoc...Sometime you just know its been a really great gig...and i think us as a band really enjoyed this one....during amoc rich whispered into my ear 'best blueneck gig ever'....i'll always remember that moment with great fondness...
They served bulleit bourbon here...always a bonus....and seeing as it was now my birthday i indulged myself...The owner was Dirk...what a lovely guy...we shared a few glasses of bourbon together and talked music...he then showed off his cocktail making skills and produced rather amazing cocktails for myself and the merch shop manager/girlfriend (aka emma)....man...my heads buzzing just trying to remember this night!!...oh..yeha...there was an amazing apple crumble too at some point!! But Dirk (for me) ruled the evening...i may even grow a beard in his honour. ;-)

Leipzig was all in all a great night. We've been invited back...and it was a pleasure to accept such a lovely invitation!

Chemnitz next...but not after a nice long sleep and breakfast and lunch at the Paris Syndrom.

Its times like these that you realise just how lucky a position we are to be able to
experience nights such as these....

dx

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

dunks europe pt 1

so...a week in europe....and with a mass of snow it was just like we'd gone back a couple of months to christmas time again...in fact in germany people still had the decorations up!...or maybe theyd put them back up.
We started the week in Lille - with the lovely Marie playing hostess...she kindly made us quite possibly the best lasagne ever along with a vast array of rather lovely other food. She also found the time to arrange our show at le select. Thankyou Marie...you were lovely xxx
The show at le select was a bit mixed. Unfortuantly the venue had had their equipment stolen the week before...so the PA was...lets say...a bit muffled!...A solo artist played before us...using loop stations and a vast array of pedals...i rudely cannot remember his name....but he was great...
1 song into our set and the piano sound died...i tried to get the sound engineer to fix the problem with the PA....but later found he'd gone home ill!!..so we played a setlist without the piano..a bit disapointing as there was a nice sized crowd that had come to see us....we played le:465 which we hadnt played for some time and the lovely people of Lille i think were very understanding about the technical issues.
A nice sleep, and a mountain of pancakes later (thanks again Marie!) and we were headed off to Munster...
Munster was our first gig of 3 with the nice guy sfrom a great band from Sweden called Immanu El. Expect to hear more from this band...they could well be BIG!
Gleis 22 is a fantastic venue...and once again fantastic hosts...the food, company and everything was amazing. The sound man - who (once again, rudely) ive forgotten the name of, was great...its always such a bonus when you come across professional but extremely friendly sound guys...the gig i think went well....for me in particular because for oonce i could hear everything....being deaf in one ear can be a bit of a pain as you tend to not hear everything on stage....but it was great....we finished playing only to find a mass of snow coming down all over munster...it was to say the least, rather beautiful.
Fair play to the people of Munster coming out in force to this gig...in England...we'd have all stayed inside...
I dont think we thought that the week could get any better at this point as we left for Leipzig....but then...Id not met Dirk from Leipzig at that point...

Dunk x

Europe 1 - UK 0

So, that's our first 'tour' done and dusted. For myself, a very mixed experience... it's no secret I find the whole gigging thing less enjoyable than the other guys... so it was a test for me to see how I'd cope on the road for a week.

It was pretty hard in all honesty... I missed my wife and kids like crazy.... but, I have to say the people we encountered in France and Germany were so ridiculously hospitable and nice, it made the whole thing a damn site easier to cope with... and we met up with some great bands too - Emmanu El, Sankt Otten (amazing, again!) and Hello Yes Yes – at some great venues. The UK live scene has a LOT to catch up with... a heck of a lot... over there you actually feel it was worth turning up for gigs, rather than over here, where the promoter gives you a fiver... if you're lucky... (and catch them before they leave)....

It was an interesting experience for sure... new places, new crowds.... long journeys.... Johnny's never-ending flatulence..... so one I'm glad I took part in, even if I wasn't loving every second..... There was one notable scary moment on the last night when we all thought we might get murdered by a crazed drunk guy, but thankfully he left.... with the help of the Police..... It's not often you see a man do the splits - in jeans.... he was scary. Very scary. Why he had to stand next to me, I don't know.... I also never discovered how to open the Vivarium alien space ship in the park at Leipzig - so if anyone knows how to, please do let me know....

Anyway... it certainly turned out to be a week of ups and downs for myself - the mixed emotions certainly made it a trip to remember! I know the other guys had a blast and plans are underway for us to return to Europe later in the year. We'll have to wait and see as to where/whens etc etc.

So a massive thank you to anyone and everyone who came out to watch us, the promoters for putting on the shoes, to those who fed us and gave us shelter, and for all the support we got while we were out there. We were quite taken back by how much we were appreciated.

I'm sure the other guys will ad their own experiences and thanks, but for me that's about it...

See you again soon....

Ben G
x

Monday, February 8, 2010

Bardens Boudoir, London 31/01/10

The week started out with a trip to North London...a trip that due to traffic lasted about 8 hours as opposed to just under 3!..not the best of starts. Still, the guys at Bardens Boudoir were well prepared for such occasions and it was decided we'd just set up equipment and just play. I think the long journey kind of took it out of the band, and brains were slightly frazzled...hence us countlessly forgetting the order of the setlist...in fact i still dont recall it now...other than we finished up with 'amoc'.
We played with 2 other bands that were kind enough to play with us at late notice. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster from London who were excellent, and also potential labelmates (for blueneck), Khuda - quite how a 2 piece make so much noise is beyond me...great band and lovely guys - Hopefully they'll finish up their debut album really soon.
We had recordings from both bands in the van for the rest of the week and both got regular plays. Thanks to Marcio for arranging this one at such late notice - a top guy whose friendliness was the perfect appetiser for the rest of the lovely people we were about to encounter that week.

Setlist;
Intro
Seven
Oig
Lilitu
Low
Weaving Spiders Come Not Here
Ub2
Revelations
amoc

www.myspace.com/tacomanarrowsbridgedisaster
www.myspace.com/khudamusic
www.bardensboudoir.co.uk