You're an animated anvil and I'm an animated duck

Published on Sun 25 Jul 2010

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I wrote here. Sorry about that, if anyone still cares...

What has happened...

Last night I played at The Cornerhouse supporting The Dawn Chorus, and had a very good time. The sound was really great - the best I've had anywhere for quite a while. I don't know if they've improved the PA recently or if the guy that was doing it is just unusually good. Either way that, and the fact that people seemed to be into it, meant that I played better than I have anywhere other than The Portland for as long as I can remember. I did: You Won't Break My Heart, Muscle Memory, Watertight, Borderline, The Ghost of Paddy's Night Past, So Finally a Love Song, Soaked to the Skin. And maybe something else somewhere in there.

The Dawn Chorus were awesome - last time I saw them they played almost entirely stuff off the second album, which was good (I've listened to it a lot since and I think it's even better than the first), but meant that there were songs I really like that they didn't do. This time was more of a greatest hits kind of thing and I loved every minute of it. Every member of a band yelling backing vocals out unamplified at the top of their lungs is extremely evocative. Also any band that can have no fewer than three members produce trumpets from nowhere and play them in harmony is alright with me. I don't understand why they're not famous yet, but talking to them it sounds like things are moving in the right direction, so that's good. I bought a T shirt. They only had medium but I reckon I can get away with it if I breathe in.

A couple of weeks ago The Travis Waltons did an EP launch at The Portland. The CDs turned up a day later than they were meant to on account of the courier company not bothering to go to Dan's house and saying that they had (surprise surprise), but, despite a bit of a panic, they were there in time for the show, so it was all ok in the end. They look really nice and sound great. I'm not totally sure how you go about getting them, but you probably should try to. We went for a band meal between soundcheck and the start of the gig, which I've never really done before, but is definitely a good thing to do - you end up feeling like a team. And Teri-Aki is pretty nice. I missed the first support act but the second guy, who plays in Tellison, who I really should go and see if they play again, was absolutely great. Lots of really good originals, and a fantastic cover of The Hypnotist's Son by Emmy the Great, which had never really grabbed me when I'd heard it before. I thought we played really well - we'd been practicing a lot and it paid off. How different everything could have been if I'd realised that 10 years ago. There are some pictures here. I'm the one who doesn't look like he's in a band.

I'm really enjoying playing at the moment in pretty much any guise. Haha - I just remembered about The Morning People gig a few weeks ago in the middle of a street when I had to sit on a flight case lid because there were no chairs. I even enjoyed that. At one point a little kid came up and tried to unplug the bass amp. Everyone's a critic.

Last Thursday I went to see Regina Spektor at the Corn Exchange. It was simultaneously one of the best things I've probably ever been to and one of the saddest. There was a "rumour" (i.e. Chris had got it into his head) that Chris Isaak was supporting, but it turned out to be a singer songwriter called Nicole Atkins who was ok I guess, but we went back to the bar after a few songs. Chris had told me just beforehand, while we were getting the second best pizza I've had in the last month, that the band's cello player had drowned in Lake Geneva about a week and a half before, leaving a wife and young kid. I kind of wish I'd not known, but it did make the gig much more intense than it would've been. I'm slightly surprised they didn't just cancel the rest of the tour. I guess people have to eat. The empty chair and music stand set up really got to me though. Especially when the rest of the band went and hugged it after they finished. Regina Spektor is a spectacular musician and writer. I've been blown away every time I've seen her. Personal highlights were, predictably, "Samson", "Us", "Summer in the City" and "On The Radio". I was crying my eyes out by the end. I think I successfully hid it behind a series of yawns.

I did one other fairly interesting thing that I don't have time to tell the story of tonight. I'll leave you in suspense about what it could be, so that you end up thinking it's more exciting than it is...