Or a weekend nonetheless. A weekend of pure bliss as weeks of joyful anticipation become fully realized. If you've read my posts, you'd know what a huge fan of this band I am, not that that makes me different from anyone else. At the first show, for example (a taping for the PBS sessions), I thought that I was a huge geek for arriving a full hour before the doors were supposed to open. But there were already many people waiting in line, a first clue that the band had already eclipsed obscure-indie status. At the taping, the PBS announcer revealed his admiration of the band telling the audience what a huge "breath of fresh air" the band was. The set they played, albeit the mishaps (including Stuart M. forgetting the words for Mayfly) was marvelous. Half the joy, however, was seeing them in person for the first time. Many of the songs they played were new including Ease Your Feet in The Sea, Is It Wicked, Slow Graffiti, and Lonliness of a Middle Distance Runner. These songs are AMAZING and I can't wait for the new LP to come out.
The show on Sunday was equally amazing, if in fact not more so. The show took place at the beautiful Angel Orresanz foundation (which probably looks like Stuart M.'s place of residence). They started the set with Century of Fakers (which I realized is actually the original song on which Century of Elvis is based). A highlight of the show was the performance of two Tigermilk era songs Expectations and She's Losing It, both which sent the diehard attendees into a frenzy. But the rest of the set was also incredible. The sound at the venue was done very well and the passion of the band shown through. A potential lowlight was the New York Times photographer who squeezed between myself, Min Liu, and Aden Kummler to obtain the optimal pictures of the band (that will appear in a Tuesday feature). (We were already crammed packed between walls of people.) However, even she, who had never heard of the band before that evening, proclaimed how wonderful they were after hearing only two songs. Towards the end, I was exhausted from so much cheering and handclapping, my feet were sore, and the crowd contorted my posture into many interesting positions only a yogi could possibly master. Yet my dissapointement at the end of the end of the set was extreme. Somehow, I wanted it to go on forever, as Belle and Sebastian are a band that always leave you wanting just a bit more....I anticipate their return.
Other noteworthy events of the weekend included sets from Comet Gain and the Pastels. And the party at Kardhym's house which included Shy Boy, Franklin Bruno, the Orange Peels, and Spare Snare (who I missed) was also wonderful.
I thought it was fantastic to be able to meet up with so many people coming as far away as California and England. None of the popfests have been able to compare itself to this gathering (which was sadly missing Peter Hahndorf).
The highlight of my weekend was sneaking back into the Sony theatre and showing my fanzine to Sarah Martin, who retrieved Chris Geddes, Stuard D., and Stuart M. Although I was practically speechless during our brief conversation, I had the impression that they in many ways were ordinary lads placed in this extraordinary situation...
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I got a great new album today, "Come Again", it's various EMI artists
covering songs by old EMI artists. Highlights include Sparklehorse/Thom
Yorke doing Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here", Foo Fighters doing Gerry
Rafferty's "Baker Street", a hilarious version of Glen Campbell's
"Rhinestone Cowboy" by White Town, and poet Murray Lachlan Young giving
a rendition of "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann (!).
Anyway, I digress. It started me thinking which songs B&S would
(hypothetically) do good cover versions of. The best I've come up with
so far are "Waterloo Sunset" or "Up The Junction", but I'm sure someone
out there can do better than that. Any suggestions welcome. At least
then we'll have something to read / argue about...
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This is like one of those 'what happened next?' questions in TV
quizzes. It's of my friends Christopher (I think he's in the middle of
saying 'Jesus Christ!') and Neil at last year's T In The Park. As you
can see it's not great quality because I used one of those instant
camera things, so it's all grainy. Christopher looks like he's about
to do something unspeakable to Neil, who happens to be blinking. He
always seems to be blinking in the photos I take of him.
clv.
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Somebody wished to strike up the Elvis debate again, lets not eh? Everytime I wrote something about it Mr.Mitchell would post a message saying people were going behind our backs and complaining to him about irrelevant mail, not that I'm paranoid about getting chucked off or anything.
By the way if anyone has a list of all the good record shops in New York I wouldn't mind one, I'm sure there are enough Americans on this list for someone to know something. Cheers.
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Anyone hear about a Chicago date coming very soon??
Pete Gianakopoulos
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Wait, but I want B&S to do *all* the songs! How can I just pick a few?
Oh, if you insist...
I'm having a difficult Monday, so my thinking is none too clear, but I can think of two off the top of my head:
The Smiths "Girlfriend In a Coma". The Smiths are the first band to introduce me to sad songs set to upbeat music, and GFIAC is (IMHO) the quintessential Smiths' song of this type. I think that B&S would do a smashing job of this song.
Secondly, er, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" (stop laughing!). Simply because I like it, and it would be terrific fun :)
love,
chris
>>> Stuart Gardiner <SKG(a)datcon.co.uk> 09/08 7:21 AM >>>
Anyway, I digress. It started me thinking which songs B&S would
(hypothetically) do good cover versions of. The best I've come up with
so far are "Waterloo Sunset" or "Up The Junction", but I'm sure someone
out there can do better than that. Any suggestions welcome. At least
then we'll have something to read / argue about...
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I've just built a shopping store for Rough Trade and although it works
perfectly on my system I need people to test it on other ones.
If you've got a few minutes spare could you point your browser at
http://www.totalweb.co.uk/bluesoda/cgi-bin/Web_store/web_store.cgi
and do a bit of shopping.
There are hardly any products in the database as that was the least of
my worries. Typing in "belle" does bring up Dog On Wheel though.
I need you to complete the whole transaction, you can invent credit card
details as long as it is 16 digits long and has valid expiry date.
Mail me back with any suggestions or if you have any problems.
Thanks
David Kitchen
--
*****************************************************************
http://www.totalweb.co.uk/bluesoda/Belleandsebastian.htm
mailto:d.kitchen@virgin.net
*****************************************************************
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Hi,
This might be too late to be helpful, but if anyone is still looking
for a copy of ' Dog on Wheels ', try here :
http://www.musicshop.co.uk
They had copies there this morning.
Bye.
____________________________________________________________________
Get free e-mail and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com
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OK--by the time you read this, I'm sure someone else will have sent a better
review of the show today than this one, but here goes...
My mom picked me up from school a bit early (11:45), so we could get a good
spot in line for the show. The doors were going to open at 2:45, but
needless to say, it all started a little late. Anyway, we had a good spot in
line, and we got really good seats, but he space was so small, that everyone
was less than 20 feet from the band. Now, I'm sure these aren't in very good
order (and maybe one or two is missing), but here is the setlist:
is it wicked not to care
dylan in the movies
slow graffiti
seymour stein
century of elvis
rollercoaster ride
lazy line painter jane
ease your feet in the sea
mayfly (twice)
break to switch tapes (with a short version of i'll be your mirror)
...middle distance runner
sleep the clock around
???
(note-I only know the names because a setlist was right nearby, if they're
not the right songs, i'm sorry)
The show was very good, even though you could tell they were very nervous
(maybe it was because the stage setup was odd, with people around them in a
circle, or maybe they're just not that used to playing in front of people).
It was strange seeing them do so many "rocking" songs--so much of the album
is calm. Sleep the clock around even had a keyboard-produced percussion loop
in it. It was very nice to hear Lazy Line painter Jane without Monica Queen
(although, I have to say, her voice is growing on me)--it was a lot more,
well pleasant isn't quite the word I want to use, but it will have to do. On
"Mayfly" (performed with a stylophone!), Mr. Murdoch forgot the words partway
through, and they had to stop (this was for tv, after all). They asked if
anyone had the album with them, and a guy a few seats down (the owner of my
local record store, and my boss) just happened to have the LP with him, and
Stuart proceeded to read the song off the back cover. Then, at the end of
the song, the cable came out of the guitarist's overdrive pedal, and a bunch
of noise (if you have a guitar and amplifier, you know the sound) came out
while he was trying to put it back in (somehow, i don't think Mayfly will
make it to the TV show). During the break (while the tapes were flipped),
the band was tuning and talking, and finally asked if there were any requests
from the audience (with 1 condition: it had to be a cover), and they did a
rough version of "I'll Be Your Mirror" (by the velvet underground). It's a
shame that that wasn't taped--it would have been a nice addition to the TV
program. The last song was a really rocking song, with crazy guitar solos
and everything (I don't know what it was...it wasn't on the setlist).
After the show, they came out to get their equipment, and they were talking
to people and signing autographs. I talked with the drummer (richard
Colburn) for a couple minutes, and everyone in the band was more than happy
to talk with people. Sorry, but I didn't have the nerve to ask if Elvis was
a dog or a cat.
I don't think they would have answered anyway.
The show, according to the host, will probably be aired in December along
with an interview that was done before the taping.
Anyway, the show was very good, and I look forward to seeing them again.
Hope to see you sunday!
--Matt Waggner
ps- I had chinese food for dinner tonight, and I got an extra fortune cookie,
so I guess you can have it. Here it is:
You will enjoy good health, you will be surrounded by luxury.
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This one was taken coming home from work one night. That's me, drowned
in a hooded top and frozen mid-step outside my front door, like I'm
playing musical statues in the rain. You can't see too clearly because
the picture's so watery, but that's my keys in my hand - I was just
about to let myself in when I remembered. The reason why I look like I'm
half-laughing and half-baffled is because I've just realised that I was
so absorbed with trying to decide whether to buy a big or a small can of
sweetcorn that I walked straight past the shop and right on home.
If you look closely at the volvo parked behind me you can see my
neighbour's dog, who's tail looks like a squirrel.
--
Nicola M
Stip / Blue Music
www.stip.demon.co.uk
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