Sinister: I trowe he were a gelding or a mare

[David Moore]

Hi All,

The more astute reader will tell from that subject that I started this post
a very long time ago. As it has had bits added to it over a long period of
time it is disjointed & rambling. Sorry.


BELLE & SEBASTIAN REHEARSALS
Like Ernie I have been wondering how the band rehearse for shows. If they
only play about 9 or 10 of the same songs consistently at each performance,
and then another 10 or so selected from about 20 possible numbers, how do
they rehearse? Do they practise all of them at each rehearsal, or only a
few? The songs always sound tight, so maybe they practice all 30 (ish). And
what about the "extra" songs played just once at individual shows? I believe
that the audience requests played during the UK tour were spontaneous
unrehearsed performances. I wonder why they changed to playing songs
specific to each city during the North American tour.

I'd love to hear B&S play Don't Fear The Reaper. The 7" of that is the only
record I have ever had stolen from me & I miss it  :(


That "Waking Up To Us" cover. Some people have referred to the "girl" in the
photo, so I guess not everyone realises that it is Sarah (Martin)


Tina Coffield: the guest in your
http://home.earthlink.net/~mozzystars/_uimages/onstage_9-5_2.jpg "Stuart,
Isobel, & Guest 9/5" photo is Evie Sands.



ANTMUSIC
I haven't seen B&S live for what seems ages now <sniff> but did make two
gigs the week before last, neither drawing very large audiences. Monday
night went to the (tiny/noisy) 12 Bar Club at the invitation of Mr Harding,
*efner's drummer (& best singwriter) & Archel's 1st sub. Ant only played
five songs, 2 old, 2 middling & 1 new, but he & his minimalist inter song
banter ("This one's about girls, stuff like that" ... "This is, er, very
sweet") were great & the new song may be the best tune he has written, so
checkout www.antpop.com for details of the release of his album.


SCOTTISH GUITAR CUB PACK
Employing tried & trusted Sinister techniques to win stuff off Radio 1
Cabbage & I got to attend the live broadcast of Mogwai's Peel Session the
following Wednesday. Maida Vale studio 3 again, Bing Crosby's last broadcast
commemorative plaque on the wall, free beer, Peelie taking the piss out of
the audience & Man U.

Stuart Braithwaite is tiny!! No longer plump, sporting a scruffy beard & a
ski hat pulled down over his ears. He was a sweet little pixie when I
thanked him after the gig as well, very polite, not at all what I expected.
They played for about 35 minutes ending with an astonishing climax to My
Father, My King with Stuart, Barry & John tearing screams of feedback out of
their guitars with their FX pedals (SB won, 12 pedals). Good to be able to
actually see what they were up to whilst playing, and without the deafening
PA for once.

Stuart bounces up & down on tiptoe when getting carried away on guitar. I
now know with terrifying certainty what he looks like whilst having a wank.
In fact after the climax of one number he had to adjust himself behind his
guitar: whether tangled up after too much jumping up & down or as a result
of peaking in time with the song I was luckily not able to determine.

Radio reception was lousy in my house that night, so anyone who got a good
recording of the session please get in touch & maybe we can arrange a swap.


CINERAMA
Last week I only made it out once (with Sally) to The Mean Fiddler for Mr
Gedge & Co. Famous popstars spotted amongst the audience included Pines1 - I
would have much rather seen her & Pines2 on the stage than in front of it.
Cinerama are always good fun & David gives good tune, despite becoming
another band playing their old band's material: the Wedding Present's Queen
Of Outer Space, Dare, Spangle, Brassneck were aired, encouraging the sad
sight of a load of grizzled, fat, ugly, balding, middle-aged men moshing.
The fact that I was still in my suit from work luckily prevented me joining
them.

The last time I heard the first of those TWP songs played live was the 2nd
December, 1992. Cambridge Corn Exchange, the first gig that Sally & I went
to together, fact fans. After the (recent) show I think I got away with
accusing the Gedge of plagiarising the Twin Peaks soundtrack for new single
Health & Efficiency.



HOW MANY RECORDS DOES A MAN NEED?

I don't want to talk about Hefner's pooh record either (maybe Darren should
let others in the band have more of a say in the songwriting. Not always a
good idea in bands :) but maybe its appropriate for them at the moment) but
I would recommend the new Gorky's album, How I Long To Feel That Summer In
My Heart.
<swirls, sniffs> Yes, I'm getting The Everly Brothers, The Beatles, Pink
Floyd, Gene Clark, other Byrds, Neil Young, George Harrison, The Eagles*.
Light bodied but some songs have a long finish. Nice.

* Not all these are bad as far as I'm concerned. Ask Ms Brooker.


RE-MAKE/RE-MODEL
However none of these are as good as the new Live At Leeds, with added
full-length version of Tommy, though. Brilliant 60's Who. (Even if recorded
in 1970.) "Fornicate ..." "Whassat, Pete? I thought it was a little station
outside Chipping Ongar".

The Who play more of interest per song during this performance than most
bands do in a career. I'm such a sucker I just had to buy that 3rd format.


I also bought the expanded* Lets Get It On because it was incorrectly priced
in the V Shop. Tee Hee. Bloody marvellous - worth it for the arrangements &
playing alone. And you get Marvin Gaye singing too!

*I was going to make some smutty remarks about Marvin keeping it up for the
entire length of the album but 1) Peter beat me to it & 2) the sleeve notes
of this deluxe edition respectfully inform us that MG suffered from
premature ejaculation, he apparently informing Smokey Robinson that "I can
just look at a naked woman and come"

I can't find a copy of the interview that dealt with the Keep On Getting It
On subject but seem to recall now that the amazing stamina was implied by
the interviewer & just agreed to ny Marvin.



I'M SOFTER THAN MY FACE WOULD SUGGEST
Apologies for going on about records but there's just so many good ones
araound at the moment. The Camera Obscura album, Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi will
be out in a couple of weeks, see
http://theparkandride.co.uk/parkandride.html or
http://www.andmoresound.co.uk/ & it will be bloody great.

OK, last one! Just to mention that another reason to check out The Dudley
Corporation's record The Lonely World of ... is that it features not only
listee Chris Leonard (of The Sleeka Corporation) but also both ListMums (!)
(of The Gorgeousness Corporation) on backing vocals.


I hope Gordon finds a full-time job soon.


MELL ST. CURSE
Carsmile, is it something that afflicts the residents of all the houses on
that road, or is inflicted by them?


DINOSAUR JR.
The dinosaur Kaiser Mark is *so* little that he looks like an egg.


Did I mention The Pinefox yet? Should I disagree with him about Alone Again
Or? No, I wouldn't want him to turn into another Sinister cult figure. So
maybe I should namedrop Shawn Krueger instead, & bless his little
archivist's soul. Thanks for bringing the covers list up to date.



Love,

Wobbly Taperecordings Inc.
Chelmsford, UK

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