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Sunday 16th March 2008
You would never have known we were here - What an absolutely perfect place to come and make music - both tangibly and intangibly - an immense room and surroundings and a beautiful family to exist in the midst of for a couple of days. Today we did another six or seven hours - If the tunes that we're coming up with now make it on to Vessels album 2, it might be quite a groove laden affair. Then, as tends to come at the end of all Vessels tales, there was the load up, the long journey and the late night bleary eyed load in at the studio back home. Back to reality.....
Ornafivesboon....
Saturday 15th March 2008
We have spent all day in the lap of luxury here in Mordue's yard coming up with new tunes - Vessels appear to be turning into an atmospheric pop/dance band. It's exciting to be working on new stuff, especially in the glow of natural light and under the space afforded by a high ceiling. This place was built for sessions like this (literally) and the music that we're coming up with is hopefuly a reflection of the vibe in this yard and of the generosity of our friends in opening up their home and peace and quiet to us so that we can push onward with our mission.
Then to top it off we went round to my ma's yard for the evening where she had cooked a roast for the band and one of my brothers and some of his mates and one of my sisters and her husband. We feasted, and my younger brother reassured us that he was alright after last week's kayaking disaster....
Couldn't get the Father Ted video to work though
Friday 14th March 2008
We're at Mordue's yard for the weekend, he has a functioning laptop so I've been able to blog again for the first time in weeks - blogging in retrospect kind of misses the point, but it does help to placate my steadily developing OCD. Mordue's yard is amazing, he has an enormous glass fronted music room staring out over the countryside, and he and his family are more than happy for my stupidly loud rock band to come and set up shop for the weekend to have a long-overblown rehearsal - We came and stayed for three days when we were writing our album last year, although Mordue at al were away then, this time they're sticking round to see the crockery shake. I'll post more pictures tomorrow - this place is immense
Bed now yes please
Thursday 13th March 2008
Vessels from Leeds and Galchen from Glasgow at the Lancaster University students Union. Two out of town bands on a midweek night without a main-crowd pulling headliner - A recipe for non-attendance I would have thought..... yip.....
Although it was well worth the pay for the band kitty (The Uni must put up some sort of budget to run these nights) and Galchen were utterly immense - check em out on myspace.
Like I said - immense
Wednesday 12th March 2008
This ABDick offset lithographic printing press represents the humble beginings of Footprint Workers Co-op. Cath and Andy spent months of their lives learning how to use it, printing at a loss, developing films and making plates, and inhaling the fumes of the various chemicals to get the business off the ground. - It's all digital at Footprint now, and so today Szymon and I began taking this beautiful device apart piece by piece to sell for scrap - A task involving, blood, oil, violence and frustration. Much like a war.
Yes in a way it is a shame - in another it is not
Tuesday 11th March 2008
Vessels, I Concur, and Worried about Satan at the Grapes in Sheffield. Three leeds bands in a Sheffield venue. A recipe for poor attendance I would have thought, but our hosts, Tommy and Cooper (Tommy Cooper gags aside I called them 'Tommy Gunn' and 'Fat man Scoop') had done their legwork, and the place filled up nicely. Top gig. Bryan the soundman was ace (That's Ryan with a 'B'), but the fire escape stairs up to the venue on the third floor were not fun for loading.....
.
or don't..
Sun 9th March 2008
Sunday, the day after the night before - Somehow, a photo of the Clock Cafe seems ideal for a Sunday....
Today I made vegi rogan josh and watched 'the Station Agent', a film about warm hearted socially awkward Americans....
Blimps are also cool...
Saturday 8th March 2008
Saturday night - The I Concur single launch - Pattern Theory went on first and were amazing, I missed Wintermute, Her name is Calla brought the mood right down to somewhere I couldn't appreciate, and I Concur sang about the M62.
Then we had an ace party at Simon's, there was dancing and I chain drank-tea.....
Paul Marshall - Bella Union - Why wasn't I informed????
Friday 7th March 2008
Transpangaean played at the Liberal club tonight, even though we haven't rehearsed with Lee for months. As per usual there were no decent photos of the band, only this blurry moment that I queefed off during soundcheck... I thought we were ace, and then with it being Friday, when everyone else continued on to various house-parties or into town to continue the merriment, I went home, had a cup of ginger tea and got a relatively early night...
Tran-span-huh?
Thursday 6th March 2008
I think I prefered my laptop in just one piece
Even if we fix it I genuinely have no idea how to put it back together
Wednesday 5th March 2008
The bank riled me today, into a genuinely grumpy mood, something my friends seldom see methinks. But immediately after work I had a drum lesson with Jimmy Theory, he taught me how to play one of the beats to 'Race In' by Battles. I can't quite do it up to speed, but it made my vile mood disintegrate as if by magic...
da da da dada da da dada da da dada da da
Tuesday 4th March 2008
Today I worked for the University again, but this time indoors, where away from the terror of the cold, I found the work quite satisfying. Suffice to say it was a lovely day outside since I was inside..
I liked the way the light hit the buildings today, but I didn't manage to photograph anything interesting in front of any of them, like perhaps a more cunning 'tog' would have done, just this rather vague shot of one of the University buildings itself - Leeds Uni has some stunning old majestic buildings, and I have given you this one... go me
Excuse Me have you voted?
Monday 3rd March 2008
Today I worked for the University again, out in the freezing cold, overseeing the great and tragic popularity contest that can overtake student executive elections. Most of the students who voted today voted to help their friends, to help people who had just collared them and then pleaded for their vote, or because they found one of the candidate's mugshots to be particularly alluring. Did I mention that it was freezing....
Today also Vessels rehearsed, for the first time in weeks - we have steadily gone from the insane marathon-like obsessive compulsive rehearsal schedule that immediately preceded the recording of our album, to rehearsal actually being somewhat of an occassion - we didn't even rehearse, we just jammed for a few hours, and I think I may have figured out how to slip gratuitous slap-bass into Vessels - watch this space...
Today also, apparantly, my younger brother was involved in some sort of kayak incident in Scotland that left him trapped underwater for some time and involved firemen and hospitals and hypothermia.... I'm sure I'll learn more tomorrow
It is indicitave of how out of practice at blogging I am if after such a day, the best picture I have is this one of Sam....
Yes yes I'll tell him
Sunday 2nd March 2008
Tonight we watched bands at the Cardigan Arms
The traditional Georgian choir who's name I didn't get opened up the night - singing in decimal intervals and mysterious languages. Intriguing stuff.
Then La Lunasphere played, with Naomi and Issi Singing harmonies, and with the Geordie on flute and backing vocals. They also had their very own contact ball/juggling pin dancer, something I took quite to heart, and thought would be even more immense in stereo. I think it was their first full gig, and they were ace - The combo of Naomi's poetry and their delicate mix of musical tones and colours made for quite the hypnosis....
Then Tatu Caretta played, they were really safe, and made everyone dance, which was nice for a gig in the Cardigan Arms, but I had to abandon the yard for the greater good - Transpangaean are playing with them this coming Friday at the Liberal club though.... boon
No Myspace but I can pass on the message
Friday 29th February 2008
Amongst many things that happened today were the devouring of this here peach flan that Swoo made....
I also rinsed it up with my double poker face
Wednesday 27th February 2008
Today Andy and I went to see Reuben supporting Sum 41 at Leeds Uni - Jamie from Reuben sorted us with some guestlist which was ace because it's been a few years since I've seen his band - boy can really scream - check em out.
I saw Sum 41 in exactly the same place almost exactly six years ago with Seb and Beth, I recall it being immense to my 19 year old psyche and was not expecting my reaction to be the same this time round. Maybe it was the nostalgia, or being out with Andy, or maybe I really am that musically base, but Sum 41 were ace....
I write this despte my understanding that they are lyrically shallow, melodically uninventive and lack longevity, I just enjoyed it in the moment is all.....
Tuesday 26th February 2008
Tonight was Vessels at the Head of Steam in Newcastle. The Strong winds had blown over articulated lorries on the motorways and on the Redheugh bridge, which had subsequently been closed and so all the bands were late. Everything ran behind and when we did go on we got cut off after four tunes - although I think they were four booners. A photgrapher even emailed to send us snaps and say that we were the best thing he had EVER seen, so we must be doing something right...
Then, as we drove home, after a quick stop in Team Valley to rescue a wayward amphead, various friends texted to ask if we'd felt the earthquake - must have missed that one then....
5.2 on the Richter scale apparantly
Monday 25th February 2008
Saw this chap leaning on a tree on the way to work this morning - I wonder in which order he was rammed into this tree, torched, and grafittied?
Tonight saw an epic Vessels listening session at the yard, our album is almost complete.......
Altered Beast no longer sounds wrong - immense
Sat 23rd February 2008
Transpangaean had a gig at the Common Place tonight, so naturally we had to rehearse all day - although with Jimmy Theory on kit rather than Lee. The gig was lovely, 7 Hertz were really good, (they had a review on Pitchfork don't you know), and Printed Circuit's electro eighties pop was immense. Transpangaean with 'the Theory' was not bad, far from tight, and perhaps directionless, and we never really kicked off like we can do, but nonetheless, we did our bit.....
I also auctioned away a guitar lesson in an auction of promises for £13, although it has yet to be claimed....
Fri 22nd February 2008
Vessels at the Library. Itch didn't get me going, Pencil Toes got kicked out for being underage, I missed Cowtown, and we were half decent methinks. The sound was a nightmare, with the monitors screaming at me all the way through the last tune, the one with the difficult vocal harmonies that are hard enough without a wall of feedback - but the crowd seemed well into it and I think we pulled about 140 through the door.... Party at our yard afterwards was immense, and I went to bed feeling like a new day was dawning - probably because it was....
wake up Pete'e
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