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Sunday 20th April 2008
Today I had breakfast with my ma and all of my brothers and sisters. This does not happen very often, be it any of the day's meals let alone breakfast. I think with partners and lodgers taken into account there were twelve of us for breakfast. we were only all in the same room for a few minutes, but it was nice....
Then my cousin Ian gave me a lift back to Leeds as he was passing that way anyway to visit some friends down south. it was nice to spend some time with him and banter in his little car, whilst listening to 'Take That' and 'Mika' and various indie bands that begin with 'The' who I've heard of but couldn't until now identify. The best bit was when he stopped over at the Beamsley yard for lunch with Tom and Rachel. It was nice to merge the worlds of family from back home with my friends here in Leeds...
I suppose if I don't specifically point out that this blue bit at the bottom of each entry is a direct link to send me a message you may not even know.....
Saturday 19th April 2008
I spent today in Darlington and Yarm, partying at the wedding of my cousin Ruth and her new husband Andy. It was a marriage uniting cattle farmers with dairy farmers, the perfect platform to tell my family about my new veganism quest methunk. The whole day was lovely, the spread laid on for us by my family was awesome and it was nice to get away from Leeds and out into somewhere remote and idyllic to spend time with my family. I don't think wedding cake is vegan, but I still ate several slices, and, with uncle Eric's encouragement, I also trousered an extra slice, to give to a friend back home.
No, I'm sorry I feel too full to dance to S Club 7 at this precise point in time....
Friday 18th April 2008
Tonight Vessels played in Manchester in Bar Saki - a really nice bar just near the university. The in-house P.A should pobably be claiming incapacity benefit, but the lack of stage did mean that since we were just set up at one side of the room, we could monopolise as much of the floor as we wanted and actually have enough room to move about. One of the best things about tonight, apart from the almost intimidating cries for an encore, were Leeds band This et Al, who played before us. I've known about them for years but never actually seen them live. They were pretty special..... Listen to them on myspace if you at all can, then message them saying that Vessels sent you....
Andy, the other half of Cuckundoo records who are putting out our album, took us all out for dinner on the 'curry mile' before we went on, much as he did last time. Which is good for several reasons: one because it's nice to see him and spend time with him, and two because otherwise we would have just eaten cheap take-away yet again. Thanks Andy.
The photo shows a takeout that we passed on the way back to the venue. Our stomachs were fully full by this point so there was no need to grace its doors. But next time I'm in Manchester, this is where I'm going for my dinner.....
Yes please I would love you to buy me dinner thanks....
Thursday 17th April 2008
Here we have a picture of me doing something thoroughly non-Vessels. The printing press in the basement of the other house (the housing co-op that we run Footprint from is split amongst two houses) still needs dismantling, and here is a shot of me moments before learning that the sparks from an angle grinder can get dangerously close to one's nether-regions.
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It is too late now for all of your sage-like advice about angle grinding....
Saturday 12th April 2008
After tonight's packed out show at the Water Rats at King's Cross in London our tour is well and truly over. I have attempted, across this tour, whilst researching and writing my Animal Rights article for the upcoming Leeds based 'Subverse' magazine to exist upon an entirely vegan diet - something I have attempted several times before. I expected to find it difficult, and had it not been for my vegan utility kit that I took in the van with me it would have been nigh on impossible. But what I have found, is that upon returning home to my own larder, fridge, and kitchen, is that compared to attempting it on tour, doing it at home isn't so much of a challenge.... I have made no promises to myself, and I'll see how long I can keep it up for, but so far so good......
This picture shows me outside the Water Rats with Shane the in-house sound engineer. Meeting him was definitely the highlight of my night, above and beyond playing a show in a lovely venue to 200 people with lovely sound and a noticeable lack of stress. Not only was he an immense sound engineer, and a consumate professional, but his thoroughly genuine infectious Irish charm and tales of life on the road left me smiling and happy for the rest of the night....
Message me using this link and I might even message you back
Wednesday 9th April 2008
Anybody who knows Tom will know why this picture, captured on the move at some point along the M40 this afternoon, is so special. If you don't know why, send him a message on his myspace and ask him. We played in Luton tonight, the last date of our tour, and after the night we're about to spend in the charming B'n'B above the venue we can drive back to Leeds - I think when we go on tour in the middle of May, I'll create a little map that I can update that shows our progress around the country - possibly represented by a red stripe, to indicate our van, and perhaps with graphics to show whether we played to a packed venue or to three punters, the other band, and the barstaff (we never seem to play to any number inbetween). Perhaps we could have a picture of some sardines for the good nights to signify the crowdedness, and then perhaps a picture of George Bush to signify vacuousness...... Tonight would have got Bush, and I don't need to post another crowd shot, just paste Sunday and Monday onto Tuesday and Wednesday and you should get the idea, but yet, in many ways again it was an ace show, and between us and those who were there, we had an ace night......
Look at that Crowd
Tuesday 8th April 2008
Tonight we bunced up the Cavern in Exeter - it was a fairly stressful affair with no soundcheck, levels all over the place, and synths and monitors cutting out left right and centre, but all told we seem to have put in a good performance. The room seemed pretty full, which was in stark contrast to last night's shenanigans, but I'm not going to post yet another crowd shot, as it's starting to get a little indulgent - especially since I have this shot I took of the 'Exeter Riddle' in the brief respite of sunshine that was yesterday afternoon. After we'd played This Will Destroy You went on and tore the soundsystem to pieces - their sound is so heinously enormous that if I shut my eyes I felt like I wasone of the stranded earthlings in Land of the Giants..... It was a beautiful affair and we had lots of fun being silly with them after the show - 'Oh you guys know Congleton, man that guy is janky......'
This April tour will destroy you
Monday 7th April 2008
In Contrast to yesterday's crowd shot of the capacity crowd at the Corporation, here's tonight's crowd at the Frog and Frigate in Southampton. What you can't see are the two drumkits, four large amps, keys, laptop, guitars, and band just behind the shot. What you can see are the eight people who watched us, only two of whom were in the other band. This was however, nonetheless, an ace show.....
Immense
Sunday 6th April 2008
After a lovely snowy Sunday morning at my sister's yard where we all stopped for the night, we booned off in the van back up the M1 to Sheffield and played as support for 'This Will Destroy You' from Texas at Sheffield Corporation. The place holds about 180 and seemed to be full by the time we played - support slots are such a massive boon, and This Will Destory You were immense, although they would have been more-so, at the Brudenell with a cushion and a brew.
Made by Nath no doubt....
Saturday 5th April 2008
This evening saw Vessels play to full up Notting Hill Arts Club in London. Best show we've done there methinks. Here we are in a cafe over the road pre-gig, Tim is saying: 'Pete man, it's a fact like, everyone knaws like, lassies all love the drummer like....'
Divvint try and deny it like....
Friday 4th April 2008
Friday night, Vessels at Escobar, Wakefield. Still haven't really left Leeds so still not really a tour, but a gig nonetheless. After soundcheck we went with Kevin Petch to O'Donaghues down the road to have our picture taken through a wineglass for Sandman. I forgot my camera, so instead of pictures of Kev through a wine glass taking pictures of us through a wineglass have this one of my mate Tommy Brew. Boon
Pre Gig Booner Snooze
Thursday 3rd April 2008
This is my friend Alice's tiny daughter Ava, She's only been around for a couple of weeks and needed a warm welcome to this yard, so I gave her Mr Pan the Monkey Man, a beautiful toy given to me by my ma about ten years back, to keep her company.
She will give him more attention than one such as I ever could....
Wednesday 2nd of April 2008
Today saw the first date of the April Vessels tour, although we don't have a gig tomorrow so we're staying in Leeds and I'm going to work and stuff. We played with I Concur upstairs in a really nice bar called the Vine to an audience of wisened and polite music lovers. Our reception was both warm and encouraging. Here are Darren and Paul, the Sound Engineers - capable and tireless men.
Tourdates on myspace etc....
Saturday 29th March 2008
Today I played solo for the first time in ages, in the Whitelocks pub of a Saturday afternoon to an assembled audience of friends and regulars. It was lovely. I miss my songs, but there will be time, soon.
No Sonic Boon but some Springsteen and the odd delay...
Friday 28th March 2008
Vessels at the Library again - this time in support of The Twilight Sad from Glasgow. They were loud, emotive and slick. Their singer was immense..... We had some folk back at the yard afterwards and had a lovely do - after everyone had gone to bed I played my acoustic guitar and wrote a new song - Sonic Boon. It needs work, and I blatantly won't play it again for months if I even remember it at all....
Camel's foot n' all
Tuesday 25th March 2008
Vegetarian Cottage pie - My first I think. Clearly a massive boon.
Served with brocolli and green beans......
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