Had two UNKLE projects coincide, a massive concert at De La Warr Pavillion in Bexhill with the Heritage Orchestra on the 10th and doing a Tigers remix of 'The Answer'.
Also involved in the gig were Ross Stanley [from MA] on piano, my twin brother John on bass/synths, Jez Wiles on percussion and Graham Fox on drums. And then about 20 string and brass players. On the actual gig there was a huge lazer display which no-one onstage could really appreciate - the very top photo [by Iestyn Lloyd] is from the back of the hall. Back in Dec 2008 there was a Heritage concert at the Union Chapel playing UNKLE's 'End Titles...Redux' album, so this was a continuation but with more of their classics like 'Rabbit in Your Headlights' and songs from their new album 'Where Did The Night Fall'. John and I go way back with Heritage leader Jules Buckley, since we were 15 and he was 18. We played on the 2006 album (as did Ross, Cake and Betts) and I had one of my pieces recorded for it.
I've started this blog, so far as a retrospective - in photos, videos, tracks and text - of 2010 now that we're half way through it [Jan-June posts are under 'June'/'July']. It's been a productive time, and looks to carry on this way - if the rest of this year goes to plan we'll see a Typewritten EP and first Three Trapped Tigers album recorded, as well as the release of my Bygones EP and the MA album The Last. Thanks for taking an interest.
Been a studio-based couple of months. The above screenshot is the kind of thing I've been looking at all year. We mixed the MA album over a week in May. Can't wait to show it to everyone. Props to Alex Bonney [Leverton Fox] for keeping the mix in check, and to Ben Lamdin [Nostalgia 77] for his engineering skills.
The Bygones EP was originally recorded back in April 2007(!). Betts did the drums at home one afternoon. The next day I drove to my folks' place in Devon and spent a few days in the spare room finishing it. Ben Trigg played cello on one track. At the end of May 2010, I added and replaced a few things but mostly the original recording is intact. I then mixed it with help from Alex again in June. Look out for late 2010 release.
Even though we only got to play 4 songs, it was a great night supporting Rolo Tomassi at the Camden Underworld on May 28th. They played their new album Cosmology in its entirety and it sounded killer – lots of great ideas, very inspirational. Such a cliché to say this about a second album from people so young but it does sound ‘more mature’ even if it's still hectic as hell in places. Amazing gig, this shot from during their encores says it all:
On May 3rd I played at Cheltenham Jazz Festival with an incarnation of my acoustic project Typewritten, accompanying silent films. Jamie Cullum curated some things for the festival and when I bumped into him randomly in November he told me that I should expect a call. It was nice of him to involve me considering I have no real profile of my own.
Typewritten has been up to 9 people live. I could only really bring 4 and therefore enlisted some serious multitasking monsters: Ben Bryant [amazing percussionist/drummer/vibes player], Tom Mason [double bass/violin/anything else you give him] and Ivo Neame [incredible pianist/sax/clarinet player who's also great on tuned percussion and drums]. I also did some live sampling, a break from the usual Typewritten all-acoustic philosophy.
So refreshing after all the volume of TTT and MA to play acoustic guitar, banjo and enjoy some of my friends' playing. Cheers to Tom Richards, the first friend of mine to join Cullum's band and basically bigged me up to him.
Played two gigs with Acoustic Ladyland, subbing for Chris Sharkey (who's amazing). Pete, Seb and Ruth - great musicians and such nice people, which only made the privilege of being onstage with them more enjoyable. It was liberating to just wig out on guitar, improvise, noise up, and not worry about keyboards or computers. It was a shame I was only doing two gigs but hopefully I'll be involved in the future of the band somehow.
Straight after the second gig in Newcastle I had to make a 7 hour bus journey through the night back to London so that I could rejoin with TTT and drive to Holland the next morning. Ugh.
TTT EUROPE
The European dates were amazing. First up, a big, city festival Motel Mozaïque in Rotterdam with Fuck Buttons and others on the bill. Fun gig.
Next night, Belgium supporting Fuck Buttons. Some dude mistook me for FB's Ben Power after the show:
Him: "Hey man, I really like what you guys are doing. I don't think anyone else is doing anything like it.” Me: "Hey, thanks for saying so man” Him: "I mean, you two have a really great chemistry onstage…” Me: "Us two? What about...oh...hang on..."
Finally, Domino Festival [photo by VInce Kmeron] - an immense Brussels city festival headlined by 65DOS [big supporters of ours] and Fuck Buttons, with us on second. IMMENSE. What a privilege.
For gigging, EUROPE rules. The gig reps, crew and staff are all so friendly and helpful. You get nice hotels. You get fed really well. I even get the impression that the audience are less militantly trendy and just more open. [For added Euro pimp shit, look here at how the Domino festival stage stuff works: all set up on risers ready to wheel on/off for quick turnarounds - so simple but pretty common in Europe.]
TTT UK TOUR
UK tour for EP3. Cardiff and Bristol we had to cancel as Betts was stuck in Mexico due to the Icelandic volcano debacle. Our support band Talons played anyway and reported that Cardiff was rammed....damn. So we kicked off in Manchester [Deaf Institute], followed by Edinburgh [Electric Circus], Birmingham [Hare & Hounds] and Brighton [Freebutt] which was awesome. Here's us debuting 13 at that gig:
Last stop - ICA, London. I'd never been to this venue but I'm glad to have played it considering there's talk of it closing. Immense. Great vibe to the gig, loads of mates, loads of actual fans who'd come to see us...even promoted by friends of ours RockFeedback - it was sold out we were told. Everyone said the sound - especially the bass - was fucking loud. Well, better than it being fucking quiet.
Now that we'd released and toured 3 EPs as planned, it felt like the end of 'Phase 1'. I'm proud of we've achieved without being signed or really having any financial support. Instead, we been lucky to have just some serious believers who've worked their asses off for us and made stuff happen.
