…is that we’re different.
A chance to chat about bands other than Half Man Half Biscuit, including of course Half Arsed Half Biscuit. Also a chance to ask some general questions about HMHB for newbies.
…is that we’re different.
A chance to chat about bands other than Half Man Half Biscuit, including of course Half Arsed Half Biscuit. Also a chance to ask some general questions about HMHB for newbies.
featureless tv producer steve
Right, there’s a singer-songwriter I’m very fond of called James McMurtry who is currently touring your lot’s side of the Atlantic, and I just wanted to throw in a little plug for him. His music is variably described as rock, roots rock, folk rock, “roots and roll” and, the term I’ve been seeing most recently, “Americana.”
But his real brilliance lies in his lyrics, as he’s a poignant and visceral story-teller. His songs are usually short stories that peer intimately into the lives of his characters, who are often struggling, marginalized people scraping their way through a world that has long since stopped caring about them. McMurtry’s terse, vivid writing makes you feel like you’re watching a full-length movie about them instead of listening to a four-minute song.
The novelist Stephen King has called him “The truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation.” A quick Google search will provide many more accolades, if you’re interested.
These are his UK dates and locales:
Tues., Jan. 31 – Bristol, England, Tunnels
Wed., Feb. 1 – Sheffield, England, Greystones
Thurs., Feb. 2 – Glasgow, Scotland, Oran More
Fri., Feb. 3 – Newcastle, England, Cluny
Sat., Feb. 4 – Manchester, England, Deaf Institute
Sun., Feb. 5 – Nottingham, England, The Maze
Mon., Feb. 6 – Leeds, England, Brundenell Social Club
Tues., Feb. 7 – Norwich, England, Arts Centre
Wed., Feb. 8 – London, England, The Lexington
So, just a little advertising if any of you are interested in seeing a great old-fashioned troubadour ply his trade. Something called “Alice Drinks the Kool-Aid” will be opening for him. I know nothing about them.
CtSO – I understand completely if you don’t want people using the HMHB comments section to shill for totally unrelated things. Please go right ahead and delete this if that’s the case.
30 January 2017
gipton teenager
Looked up James McMurty on YT, bloody marvellous. He’s playing down the road tomorrow, maybe see Exxo there?. (He does look a bit like the bastard son of Kinky Friedman, though). (Obviously that’s JMcM not Exxo).
5 February 2017
featureless tv producer steve
Your friendly resident Ignorant American, shamelessly shilling for a fellow American. Glad you like him, and if you do go see him, please report back.
6 February 2017
GIpton teenager
12.40am: coffee and 10 year old single malt to hand post-gig…
It’s cold and wet (but no regret) JMcM was ACE. Nice small venue and FREE BEER. yes that’s FREE BEER. courtesy of the support band (the main man has a brewery ) band pretty much MOR stuff. Main event starts with safe rock-ey genre kind of thing, but you get the feeling the band are sussing out the punters. Then they (the band) cut loose with devastating lyrics, punchy tunes and emotive ambience which makes you laugh, cry, laugh again and (most importantly) think. Choctaw Bingo is a masterpiece which went on forever and it wasn’t nearly long enough. Thank you Steve, I owe you a pint.
7 February 2017
GIpton teenager
Sorry, just thought… Exxo will probably post on here and be much more eloquent than me, but he did look a bit of a prat in Davey Currie’s soiled hi-vis gear, as he cycled off into the darkness alongside the canal…
7 February 2017
featureless tv producer steve
That’s great to hear, @GP! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hmm, now I just need to figure out how to get myself to England to collect that pint….
7 February 2017
CHARLES EXFORD
Soiled? That was art-as-tabard I’ll thank you. Be safe, be seen, be Jackson Pollock on a bike sort of thing.
And I will indeed post oh-so-eloquently, in due course (this work stuff is a lovely novelty and does help keep me relatively quiet).
7 February 2017
CHARLES EXFORD
I do need to tell people that if you haven’t heard Julian Cope’s new album yet, listen to it and tell me he isn’t getting more and more influenced by Mr. B.
It’s ‘album of the day’ on 6Music, but more importantly you’ve only got today left to listen to his really entertaining 6Music interview on RadMac on 9th Jan, when even before hearing the album I thought ‘he’s finally fulfilling his true comic potential.’
7 February 2017
dr desperate
Fine stuff that, Exxo. Here’s the arch-drude being safe, being seen on TOTP in 1996.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHf4wKdvlEE
7 February 2017
GIpton teenager
When I say “soiled” I do, of course mean “having soil on it”. Maybe I should have said “mud-spattered”. Let’s just say spattered for short?
7 February 2017
Paul f
Cheers for the tip Exxo – great to see that the long-mooted Wylie-teasing Liver As Big as Hartlepool made the cut.
7 February 2017
paul f
I had to buy the album following that interview and it’s as great as I’d hoped. Some of the lyrics are very Blackwell, although whereas Nigel comes up with many of them through flights of imagination, you get the feeling with Julian that he’s describing things that have actually happened to him, no matter how improbable they might seem.
8 February 2017
CHARLES EXFORD
Glad you’re loving the album as much as me Paul. Just to explain to anyone who missed Cope’s novel 3 years ago that the influence of HMHB on his work is not mere speculation – its on record.
Indeed, he mentioned HMHB in his most entertaining of interviews on RadMac. Which in fact will still be listenable for the next 3 hours – that 9th Jan show will still be ‘up’ until the end of today’s show at 4pm. I can’t remember chuckling so often during an 18 minute RadMac interview, from 1.32 to 1.54
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08739g0
@Gipton Teenager. Paint-spattered. Red paint. No soil.
8 February 2017
paul f
His Biscuit knowledge is however partial. When asked why Polly James and Carla Lane merited references in his lyrics, but Nerys Hughes did not, he replied that HMHB had covered her off, clearly not realising that they had done the same for Carla Lane.
8 February 2017
CHARLES EXFORD
Well TBF Cope only said that HMHB had “nailed that one”, referring to erys Hughes, thereby su-jesting that was what made her a no-go area for ‘Liver as Big as Hartlepool’. I don’t necessarily think that means he’s not familiar with the Carla Lane reference.
Another thing is that the Dutch indiepop hooligan character in Cope’s novel’s motives for trying to terrorise HMHB are epitomised by the fact that Mr. B devoted his ire towards people like Nerys Hughes rather than Thatcher, so yeah that subject would seem to be very much already nailed as far as Cope’s concerned.
8 February 2017
GIpton teenager
@CE fair enough, it was dark and FREE alcohol (did I mention that it was free?) had not been a stranger during the course of the evening.
8 February 2017
Paul f
Good point, well made Exxo. As ever.
8 February 2017
dirk hofman
I managed to catch the JC36 interview so thanks for flagging that up, I don’t know how old the bbc photo of him is ( and he obviously wasn’t in the studio with them ). But the Romanian Airlines pilot hat he’s been wearing for a while reminds me of those tam o’shatners they flog outside Hamden Park and Murrayfield, you know with the orange wool wigs attached ..
( if Davey’s brother is Stevie it was soiled )
9 February 2017
CHARLES EXFORD
It was clean when I borrowed it and now it’s covered in paint, so Davy didn’t want it back. Any more questions about the tabard? No? Good. Meanwhile not seen Stevie C. for about 14 years, settled down in L’pool, last time I saw him was at the match.
9 February 2017
Paul f
Exxo – not wanting to turn this into a much wider ranging lyrics project, but the first line of Liver Big as Hartlepool is doing my head in. Help a brother out?
9 February 2017
CHARLES EXFORD
Boxhead got there first, but I don’t care
Gonna travel until I get there
Introduced thus at a recent gig “So I’m gonna do this for you. The thing is, it started as parody but actually, I’m pretty moved by it.
9 February 2017
Paul f
Cheers Exxo. I had to look Boxhead up – that scene was a little before my time.
10 February 2017
Chris The Siteowner
Podcast: Interview with Niall Quinn of The Hitchers, 20 years after ‘Strachan’.
11 February 2017
Frank Hovis
https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/podcast-interview-with-niall-quinn-of-the-hitchers-20-years-after-strachan-442616.html
11 February 2017
CHARLES EXFORD
Great stuff and thanks for posting – just when I was picking out which DPAS to wear and getting that surreal feeling of ‘what the flip am I doing?’ that was a boost.
Doors 9, band on 10, that’s civilised.
Hopeful of getting Niall & the band over to the UK sometime, but not easy for them (families, jobs, etc). We’ll chat to him about it.
11 February 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Nigel bring some winter woolies with you it’s fekking freezing.
11 February 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Fred Zepp’s Cork 11 Feb.
https://goo.gl/photos/s8GZSC3Pt8ncNYVV9
13 February 2017
dr desperate
As I was coming over the Cork & Kerry Mountains, I thought, “This plane’s taking the long way round from Manchester”. Yes, m’ladyfriend Elizabeth and I were on our way to Cork to see Half Arsed Half Biscuit!
Leaving behind the only airport in the world with a statue of a famous hurler (unless the new one at Kandy honours Muttiah Muralitharan), we arrived in the city just in time to catch an afternoon screening of ‘The Young Offenders’, a grand fillum about two lads cycling across Co. Cork to salvage a shipwrecked cargo of cocaine. Next stop pizza (it being a Friday), then two bands playing local pubs. Eight hours down, forty to go.
Saturday was taken up with record shopping, watching Six Nations matches (joined at this point by Hendrix Tattoo of this website) and drinking heavily. I noticed Midge Ure was due to play the Opera House, admired the astonishingly ugly memorial in Rory Gallagher Place, and failed to get my head around a pub called An Camán. Quick curry with H-T, then on to Fred Zeppelins to await ex-Hitcher Niall Quinn’s band from Limerick. They arrived at 10, as did Exxo from a tour of adjacent hostelries, complaining bitterly (or at least complaining about the bitter).
As the tiny upstairs room filled with curious Corkonians, I found it strangely unsettling not to have Roger Green at inside-left, but calmed down sufficiently to note that the typed setlists bore the warning “Beware of the tribute band who type out their setlist”. A good sign, I felt.
I must admit we’d had mixed feelings about going to see a HMHB tribute band (or any tribute band, come to that), but we needn’t have worried: they had us from the first “Mention The Lord Of The Rings”. An insanely good version of ‘Dickie Davies’ Eyes’ segued into ‘He Who Would Valium Take’, followed by:
Left Lyrics
99% of Gargoyles
Chatteris
Bad Wools
Dean Friedman
Fred Titmus
Leeuwarden
Vitas Gerulaitis
Gwatkin
Restless Legs
Petty Sessions
Honved
Teenage Bride
DPAK
A Country Practice
The Best Things In Life (“biro” bit)
Bob Wilson
TLATEOTT(ISLOAOT)
Vatican Broadside
NSD
Twydale (“Gouranga” bit)
Paintball
24HGP
JDOGs
Trad Arr.
AOR
?
King of Hi-Vis
Irk The Purists
The Trumpton Riots
Unsurprisingly, NQ stayed on-piste most of the way, and avoided most of NB10’s stand-up material. We never did get to hear what route the band took to Cork, for instance, or what guitarist Carolyn was the first person in Limerick to do. (Incidentally, she’s much better-looking than Ken, should anything happen to him God forbid.)
He correctly predicted he wouldn’t be able to remember the first line of the second verse in ‘Teenage Bride’, and ‘The Referee’s Alphabet’ was omitted in its entirety, possibly for the same reason. Other than that, the songs were all performed brilliantly, without a note out of place, in a Birkenhead accent that left Exxo open-mouthed. For form’s sake, ‘DPAK’ was moved 2 places up the running order, and the end of the set was introduced with a paraphrase from ‘Mountain Bikes’ (“That’s when you first thought he’d finish with AOR”). And having spent nearly ten years waiting for ‘King Of Hi-Vis’ to be played live, I’ve now heard it twice in ten days. Walk on through!
Go raibh míle maith agat to Niall and the band, and to them and the fans who welcomed us with open arms in the moshpit I have only this to say:
On to Worthing!
13 February 2017
Chris The Siteowner
Photos:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/hmhbsociety/permalink/10158299536410046/
Video:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1534152419933212/permalink/1596333100381810/
13 February 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Excellent Dr.Desp.
Could not have put it better myself.
Now for Exxo’s review?
13 February 2017
Irish Niall
Hi to all. Sincere thanks for the support with the Cork show. We’re humbled when people travel from Galway to see us play. We’re blown away by people crossing water. It was a great night.
As promised we endeavoured to record some of it just to prove it happened. I pressed REC on the camera just before we went on then only noticed probably 3/4s way through that the red light wasn’t on – which meant it went to sleep for some reason a few seconds after we started it. But at least we noticed and got the last hour. I then found my old YouTube Channel and uploaded them. Would love to see any pics or vids anyone else got.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxAH5LM69UVwdHPZb63tmcw
14 February 2017
EXXO
Hi Niall. Brilliant gig, nicely captured by Dr, Desperate there. I’m still catching up on sleep (having walked back uphill to the airport at 3am Sunday morning just to keep warm rather than wait for the 5.30 am bus) and with starting a new job yesterday haven’t had much chance to process my thoughts into writing … but could you just tell me first names and/or nicknames of the band members for when I do? You’ll see why I need as many names as possible when you read it (by the way does anyone remember the Czech fella’s name? And the fan in the Bisodol shirt?)
Those videos are surprisingly good, considering the camera had to be set up at head level behind the audience… What I recorded on my little camera would have complemented yours, because my battery maybe ran out about when your videos start … but I was using the camera for the first time and it seems to have some quirks which only now I’m aware of. I had it on the wrong setting for filming in such a dark room and for the majority of the songs I recorded you can just see total darkness and the odd momentary flash of the stage lights. But the at least sound it recorded seems reasonable when it was at the back of the room … by contrast, when I had it on the stage the pics are better, but the sound is an odd mix. Anyway it may be a few days before I put the vids up and put a link on here.
14 February 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Exxo, Glad you made it home safely,Lar.
14 February 2017
EXXO
Yeah, Tony, and here’s a taster of
THE ENGLISH ROVERS (Part I)
In the year of our Lord, twenty seventeen
I set off from the county of York
Where a ticket I’d bought from a Manky airport
For a gig in the sweet Cobh of Cork.
On this crappy aircraft, we could only board aft
While she wobbled and nearly tipped over
A Stobart Seventy Two, with a scabby old crew
And they called her The Irish Rover.
The safety record past, of this craft in icy blasts
Was unimpressive and this crew clearly knew it *
They cowered in corners, while nobody warned us
Of the turbulence until we were through it.
With Captain Slugger O’Toole, who was drunk as a rule,**
Rolling round the deck like a loose cannon
The stewardess Claire could only growl like a bear
Since the ‘undercarriage incident’ at Shannon, ***
I was never so glad to see that airfield by the Lee
And catch a dear old Bus Éireann again
But oh shit, bugger me, all the pubs just had rugby
And I missed the whole Liverpool game.
To hear of “revolution brewing” in Eire’s pubs is ace
But frankly with their beer I wasn’t too thrilled
Abbot’s Ale House, Corner House, The Franciscan place
All serve craft ales, but fizzy and too chilled.
And so to Led Zepp’s to meet the rest of the crew
Who’d been mad enough to also fly over:
There was Dr Desperate and Liz, and Hendrix Tattoo
And I was the fourth English Rover.
At least a dozen more Biscuiteers came through the door
One wearing the ‘90 Bisodol’ design
Some had pawned their old man’s braces to get from Galway and places
And the Cork faces soon snuck in behind.
There was Barney McGee from up near Bandon,
There was Hogan from the Kinsale Biscuits crew,
Most were local Cork fandom, born in earshot of Shandon
So Tinnitus to them was nothing new.
When the soundcheck was over all these Iro-Anglish Rovers
Trooped upstairs, in solemn single file
And one by one we went, on into the main event
And were greeted by a fine chap called Niall…
(to be continued)
* all comments regarding the safety record of the ATR-72 are based on solid research on Wikipedia and may or may not have been exaggerated for the purposes of folk balladry.
** O’Toole has been borrowed from what is virtually a trad. arr, thus surely protecting me or this site from legal action. Surely? Oh, come on …
***Actual Shannon incident 2011. Aer Arran has since changed its name to Stobart Air.
14 February 2017
CHARLES EXFORD
Pressed ‘submit’ a bit early methinks. Maybe weeks too early. Apologies to everyone, especially FRED Zeppelins. And while Tony screams for a seal cull, I’ll just have a quiet syllable cull….
14 February 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Exxo,That was brilliant even better when actually reading it while listening to the actual song you borrowed it from, I’m pretty sure Niall and the gang will think so also.
Just to be on the safe side do not plan any trips to Limerick for a while.
Even Dr. Desp.used the Cork and Kerry mountains in his excellent review, He is also very clever at poster collection(Cough! cough!)
Me, however cannot write out a shopping list without messing it up.
So there’s no chance of me writing a review like you clever chaps.
Even though(It must have been the Guinness) All over the weekend I was singing to myself “But the wind goes right through you” “It’s no place for the old” line from FoNY by the Pogues because it was bloody cold.
Please, Don’t take this the wrong way guys.
When Ian Dury and Chaz Jankel wrote this song they were writing it about you guys.
https://youtu.be/PPvRsLWlDXw
15 February 2017
Irish Niall
@Dr Desperate -great review sir. I hope you (and Chris) don’t mind if we link to it. We could’ve actually told a tale or two about the spin down the so called N20. I think Hendrix Tatoo was saying he nearly took us up on the proposed mini-bus offer. He could’ve marvelled that the 2nd and 3rd biggest cities in a 21st century western European state are connected by this glorified farm-access road. We were keeping Referees Alphabet as a ‘floater’ for when someone broke a string -which never happened -despite my breaking one taking the guitar out of its case the night before. Sorry we didn’t have Bubblewrap nailed down but we’d to cancel a couple of rehearsals in the run up due to illness and work commitments.
@ Exxo -what can you say to that?! Serious writing going on there sir. Well played. The other crew members are Carolyn on guitar and the two Kierans who I differentiate as Mr. Sims (Bass) and Mr. Hayes (drums). I found one more tune on that card. Still no idea why the camera hibernated after I initially switched it on. Never done that before. Anyway -Bob Wilson added –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lpiUCi0h1Y
15 February 2017
dr desperate
Good man yerself, @Niall.
Excellent stuff, @Exxo, waiting for Pt 2 now. Our Czech mate was called Pavel, if it helps.
(My sister lives in Northern Ireland and used to drive a Rover, which she had serviced at a garage called…Ards Rover & Mini Centre. You can’t have everything.)
16 February 2017
Cresta
Niall Quinn… Are you either:
a) lilac; or
b) red- and white-striped?
Just thought I’d ask!
18 February 2017
Irish Niall
@Cresta -None of the above -though, and perhaps someone on here can help me with info on this, I’m told my grandad Joe Quinn spent a good chunk of his working life in a bike factory in Redditch.
I think I always just assumed it was push bikes and was thus likely Raleigh -or possibly Harry Quinn I suppose. But the only references I’ve found online to bicycle production there relate to motorcycles. Sorry for steering this down the “Who do you think you are -UK & Ireland” but if anyone has any info I’d be very interested to hear it.
25 February 2017
arm breaking swan
@Irish Niall
Redditch, (more famous for the manufacture of needles and fishing tackle) was home to The Royal Enfield bicycle factory until it closed in 1967.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Enfield
BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) also had a factory in Redditch but like you say I think it made motor cycles rather than bicycles.
26 February 2017
Brumbiscuit
It seems that BSA made bicycle hubs in Redditch. A forerunner to the Sturmey Archer (q.v.) hubs of fame. This had escaped me, as I had assumed that the Redditch factory was set up during WW2 as a dispersal precaution following the bombing of November 1940 of the Small Heath factory.
Eadie was the Redditch company (itself the product of an earlier takeover) amalgamated into BSA and details of their hubs can be found here: http://www.oldbike.eu/museum/bike-i-d/early-hubs-gears/
26 February 2017
Irish Niall
Hi to all, not that I expect you all to scramble to ryanair but just to enter in the log that it’s happening I’m doing a series of something called ‘micro-shows’ on saturday for Kanturk Arts Festival. Thin on details but I believe I’ve to dash around half a dozen venues that include cafes and at least one petrol station (there’s one song has to be played there!) where I play a handful of songs at each. I’d intended to heavily load the sets with HMHB stuff anyway (as well as a bit of my own, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Billy Bragg ….Clash, Ramones …Sepultura). Also we hope to confirm a HAHB show for Dublin soon. Enjoy St Patricks Day wherever it takes you …it’ll probably take me to Kinvarra.
16 March 2017
Irish Niall
Hi to all, this is another instance of entering it in the log rather than touting for business but I’m very happy to report the next Half Arsed Half Biscuit show will take place in Belfast on Friday September 22nd. If that date is setting alarm bells ringing then well it should as that’s the same day as the real thing are on in the charming hamlet of Holmfirth.
Funnily I had just given up hope of making it a hat-trick of Holmfirths* when next thing we were contacted by Cathedral Quarter Arts Fest to see if we’d come up and do a show for Culture Night.
*(Friday night gigs in Britain are the worst when you live in the west of Ireland –you’ll probably need two days off work AND the flights will be dearest OR you could chance going first thing Friday morning in which case you’ll be catatonic by showtime OR you could chance going Friday lunchtime provided they’re on in ….south London -which can work but you’re never more than a cow being scraped from the line away from missing the show)
3 July 2017
dr desperate
Excellent news, @Niall. As you might expect, a few of us are already committed to Holmfirth, but I’ll let my sister in Bangor know you’ll be playing down the road in September.
3 July 2017
Irish Niall
@Dr Desperate “a few of us are already committed to Holmfirth”?!?! I should bloody well hope so. 🙂
I’d scarcely expect anyone to skip the real deal for our Tonight Matthew I’m Nigel Blackwell-isms. …Though I have said, and I stand over it, given the choice between a proper Metallica concert and their Irish tribute Metallitia I’ll be down the front in Dolans Warehouse every time.
But still yeah -tell the sister for sure. I think it’s a free in and all.
3 July 2017
floreat ultonia
Afternoon all. Good news on the Bel Air gig INQ. I may be in town visiting family and if so will try to get along
7 July 2017
EXXO
There was a bit of a putative discussion of the existence or otherwise of an HMHB tribute band on Chris Hawkins’ 6Music show 6.10 – 6.40 this morning. I think 2 or even 3 separate between-song interludes featured such musings (via the old LGC – that’s Listener-Generated Content of course).
Niall you should grab the chance of a bit of self-promotion and email him (can you listen to “listen again” in the Republic? ) … I would have done on your behalf but got a bit too much work on for my liking this week.
9 August 2017
EXXO
Except I’d forgotten (again) that ‘putative’ doesn’t mean what I used to think it did. The discussion was in fact nascent. you might even called it half-arsed.
9 August 2017
dr desperate
Non-putative HMHB on Marc Riley’s R6M programme last night, as they were the answer to ‘Who’s On My T-shirt?’
Listen again at [49:39] to hear the clues.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08zdbx1
10 August 2017
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
Don’t know if anyone else is a fan of Michael Head (of Shack/Paleys fame) but his new album is out on October 20th http://www.michaelhead.net/ – until the announcement of a new HMHB album, my most anticipated release of 2017.
10 August 2017
Irish Niall
@EXXO thanks for the heads up. Tweeted him there. Rehearsals afoot for Belfast. We’ve a guitarist conundrum as Carolyn/Ken isn’t available which has me wondering is Ken going on holidays and she’s been called up to the international squad for Holmfirth. But we’ll be sorted.
11 August 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Teenage Kicks was one of the late John Peel’s favourite song’s.
Just found this band on YT playing it at the Robin2, let’s hope they support HMHB in feb to get the mosh going….
https://youtu.be/rpgSggOOq_w
14 September 2017
Irish Niall
Just an update from Ireland on HAHB goings on -imitating the real deal we’re also having a defecit of available players:
“Hi folks apologies for lack of updates relating to the Fridays show -which is going ahead in augmented form. Due to technical issues, suspensions and failed fitness tests we’re unable to fulfil this fixture in full Half Arsedness -so it’ll be more like Quarter Arsed Half Biscuit and dare I say it the set will be more ‘song based’.
But hopefully you’ll still be along and every endeavour will be made to pack as many HMHB tunes as possible into allocated time.
Thanks for your understanding and see ye Friday.”
Remember me to Holmfirth folks. Here’s hoping the bald Adonis is back on duty for it as well. Though I gather they coped admirably as a three piece last week.
18 September 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Good luck for friday Niall.
18 September 2017
hendrix-tattoo
Just found this@Phyllis about HAHB gig on Twatter….
https://m.facebook.com/HAHBtrib2HMHB/posts/1615600481804357
24 September 2017
gipton teenager
My local International Film Festival (is that an oxymoron?) in Leeds has a showing of Polish animation short films, accompanied by a live performance from British Sea Power. I am very fond of Polish animation, but am unfamiliar with said band. I understand they have done this kind of thing before. Could anybody tell me whether I should stay ( at home) or go (to the show)?
Also @Exxo. Do you still need horticultural advice Nigel?
19 October 2017
dr desperate
Our fellow Biscuiteer Tim would say go. Mind you, he does have a tattoo which entitles him to free admission to BSP gigs for life. It’s not bad, actually.
http://www.leedsfilm.com/whats-on/british-sea-power-at-leeds-town-hall-music-for-polish-animation-classics/
19 October 2017
GIpton teenager
Dr.D- is that the music or the tattoo which is not bad?
19 October 2017
Jeff dreadnought
I’ve seen the excellent British Sea Power many times over the years (as a paying punter – I don’t have the tattoo, sadly) and they never disappoint. If you don’t know them, they are well worth “checking out”. I’d say go.
20 October 2017
EXXO
@GT. Yes, I’ll meet you at one of our international locals.
20 October 2017
dr desperate
Having checked my calendar, I’d suggest that anyone considering going to see BSP at Leeds Town Hall on the 10th of November might be better heading 60 miles further east that night.
https://www.ents24.com/hull-events/the-welly-club/half-man-half-biscuit/4982050
23 October 2017
GIpton teenager
‘Fraid I been and done and got the tickets now Dr. D., along with tickets for 11 other shows all in the space of 14 days. By the way, I saw Kneehigh Theatre Co. Performing The Tin Drum on Saturday. It was so LOUD that the woman sitting next to me tore up a paper hankie to stuff in her ears.
23 October 2017
Irish Niall
DUBLIN!
13 November 2017
SCottish McNEIL
DUNDEE!
14 November 2017
EXXO
HUMBERSIDE!
After enjoying myself so much at Fred Zeps Niall, I wonder if there’s any chance of catching a Nauris Zeps gig while I’m over for this one?
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/male-stripper-loses-damages-claim-over-rear-ending-injury-1.3291368
14 November 2017
hendrix-tattoo
You forgot CARLISLE!
14 November 2017
EXXO
All booked. Leeds-Dublin £9.99 on the Saturday morning, Dublin-Newcastle £9.48 on the Sunday morning.
Hopefully the stage lighting will be a bit more conducive to filming this time.
Get on it Biscuitstas.
14 November 2017
dr desperate
I’ll only be 8 miles away on the Sunday morning. Unfortunately it’ll be straight up.
14 November 2017
EXXO
Well it looks like a right arl posh pretentious Portobello hipster overpriced brewdog joint, but paypal iacta est and for one night at least it’ll be our posh pretentious Portobello hipster overpriced brewdog joint. Nutty gizzards, anyone?
17 November 2017
Paul F
Have they finished digging Dublin up for those trams yet?
17 November 2017
Irish Niall
You might be right Exxo. But they’ve not just got a house rig -they’ve got a house backline and it’s all Orange. So we could probably get the train to this one if we didn’t fear the live possibility of a bus replacement service.
I actually own an Orange Amp head (120w 4xchannel) that was born only days apart from myself. An amp-doctor guy once told me there were only two ways a piece of gear like that ended up in western Ireland in the early/mid 1970’s -Thin Lizzy or Rory Gallagher.
I’m looking forward to this immensely.
20 November 2017
EXXO
Me too, Niall. Looking forward to hearing you channelling the spirit of Messrs Gallagher & Moore through the posh backline… but maybe a member of another band like Horslips could have carted their RCA-funded equipment back to Limerick in the early 70’s too?
20 November 2017
Irish Niall
It’s possible for sure. According to Amp-Dr. Cyril the phenomenon ran thus -act releases new album and start touring it in UK and Ireland dragging a spanking new rig and backline around with them. Tour culminates with Irish dates (which back then could’ve been a dozen stand-alone shows rather than a single show in Dublin) after which the entire rig and backline are sold off as ‘nearly new’ to dealerships or privately. Bands album tour moves on to mainland Europe or US and they pick up another brand new rig there. Rinse and repeat.
My Orange was bought by a local football club who used it as a PA head for their disco.
21 November 2017
EXXO
That’s a great story about a treasured object which has brought a lot of joy to the Irish masses in peacetime.
Talking of which my own mention of Horslips has predictably led me down some unpredictable Youtube alleyways, where I’ve been listening again to Horslips’ first album – which I remember picking up very battered in a second hand shop at the end of the 70s – what a thing of celtic beauty that octagonal gatefold album was. You can see that RCA had high hopes for the band the amount of money they put into that packaging, and bringing the Stones’ ‘mobile’ (out of ‘Smoke on the Water’) over to Co. Tipperary to record it.
Why I liked all that stuff in the late 70’s, instead of getting over to Eric’s while I could, is another matter. I’ve also just been reading a fanzine review of the Jam’s gig in Birkenhead in 1977. So near and yet so far away.
Anyway, onwards and upwards… I have a real thing about how hard it is to get what I consider to be decent beer in Ireland – especially good stout, he opined controversially – so I’m already planning my ‘craft beer crawl’ on 13th Jan.
21 November 2017
EXXO
And BTW, if at any point during the gig you get heckled with a chant of ‘MidgeUre once used your amp head!’ I know it’s not possible in terms of Lizzy chronology or even geography, but it’s your own fault for name-dropping 🙂
21 November 2017
EXXO
I also have a vision of your local football club raffle, that embarrassing bit where they say “last call for pink ticket 228”, and then they draw out another number, and by the time you get to the stage with pink ticket 228 all that’s left to choose from (“you can have anything that’s left”) is a set of smelly soaps, a bottle of ready-made pina colada and a Terry’s chocolate orange, so you walk off with the amp head.
21 November 2017
Irish Niall
Not far off Exxo. Chairmans son married my sister. Told me as a 15 year old “we’ve an auld orange amp sitting in the shed since god was a boy if it’s any good to you.” Being the motivated sort I did nothing til I was I was 29 and was told the shed was being bulldozed (new conservatory!) and I’d better get off my arse. It’d been sitting up at least 20 years by then. Amp doc Cyril put her right though. Must bring her back to him actually. Long overdue.
Anyway -working on some new PR to try and explain us to a deeply mystified/disinterested Irish music press.
“Half Arsed Half Biscuit perform the songs of Half Man Half Biscuit. I guess that makes them a tribute band. Though as Half Man Half Biscuit, they being the real thing, are unlikely to ever come to Ireland for reasons that are their own Half Arsed Half Biscuit sometimes prefer to think of themselves as proxies, emissaries, evangelists if you like. Preaching to the converted and hopefully converting the converteds girlfriend, boyfriend or mate from work.
See you down the front. Joy Division Oven Gloves optional but encouraged.” We’re also making christmas cards!
23 November 2017
EXXO
Fascinating documentary from UC Cork on one of the most original acts of the eighties – the mighty Microdisney.
https://soundcloud.com/ucc98-3fm
Wonder if they’ll do one on Stump, whose late lamented Mick Lynch is heard (predictably, talking about drinking) in the Microdisney doc?
Then they should do one on Half Arsed Half Biscuit.
30 November 2017
jodrell banksy
Ta, Exxo! I enjoy Microdisney and should give Coughlan’s subsequent Fatima Mansions more of a listen. And I wonder when the last time I pulled out the Stump LP; probably not since the mid-90s, when I discovered Flann O’Brien and realized that the Stump album (title and photo) were a reference to him.
30 November 2017
Irish Niall
I just bought tickets to Microdisneys Dublin show in the NCH next June 2nd. That was one I never thought would happen.
2 December 2017
SPT
Indeed. Hoping that Microdisney will haul themselves over the Irish Sea for one or two dates after that Dublin one.
3 December 2017
FLINTLOCK
I’ve got tickets for Microdisney in Dublin too – London would possibly be a more appropriate venue for their comeback, especially as it’s to play The Clock Comes Down The Stairs.
3 December 2017
Transit full of keith
So, this evening I’ve discovered the new EP ‘Arsholageddon’ by none other than … Spam Javelin.
http://link2wales.co.uk/tag/spam-javelin/
Which came first? The actual Wales-based punk three-piece, or the fictional promo for ‘Personal Best’?
4 December 2017
gipton teenager
I still listen to Stump on a regular basis and Exxo’s comment above about Mick Lynch brought a tear to my eye. Then I thought about my other favourite acts who died too young. Frank Tovey (aka Fad Gadget), Frank Zappa, Kirsty MacColl,… sniff…
5 December 2017
GIpton teenager
@Jodrell Banksy. An homage to
the incomparable Flann O’Brien on Radio 4 (Great Lives) just ended. Get it on iPlayer. Another one died at 54 -before his masterpiece was published.
5 December 2017
CHARLES EXFORD
Great stuff Tony – plenty for the bri-curious there, though I’m certainly no flannorak. I didn’t know, for example, that Flann and his Dublin drinking buddies conducted epistolary feuds in newspaper letters columns under daft synonyms … where have I heard of something along those lines before?
6 December 2017
GIpton teenager
Well Nigel, Brian (O’Nolan) managed to get a regular column as Myles Na gCopaleen out of it. Nice work if you can get it.
8 December 2017
jodrell banksy
@Gipton Teenager – cheers! I will give it a listen today. The Third Policeman is one of my all-time faves, and Best of Myles gets thumbed through over and over as bedtime reading.
8 December 2017
dr desperate
I saw the great Eamon Morrissey perform his one-man O’Brien show ‘The Brother’ in Dublin in the mid-80s. This is a recording made for RTE in 1992, with ‘The Workman’s Friend’ (“A pint of plain is your only man…”) at [33:00].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5crxiCVABI
9 December 2017
jodrell banksy
Can’t quite work out if Rowland’s omitting Flann O’Brien / Brian O’Nolan in Dexys’ “Dance Stance” / “Burn it Down” is a sort of snub (“you’re not important enough to be something I have to get past”), or a tacit endorsement.
11 December 2017
GIpton teenager
Thanks for the YT link about FO’B Dr.D. I’ll set meself down nice and quiet, like, with a suitable libation. My screen time at the moment is taken up with slaying zombies, (can you kill the living dead?) which is awful tiring, so an hour of Mr. O’Nolan should be just the antidote.
14 December 2017
dr desperate
Just don’t try playing Drink-alonga-Jem.
14 December 2017
GIpton teenager
@Dr.D. Coursh not Doc E. By the way, while you lot were (no doubt) cutting a mean rug in Hull, my ears were being pleasured by British Sea Power on your recommendation, while watching classic Polish animations at my local International Film Festival and drinking excellent beer too.
15 December 2017
GIpton teenager
#Exxo- Beer festival at the Brudie this weekend. I shall probably be going on Friday. Fancy a pint?
8 January 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
@ G-T yep will call you. Will probably be there late Sunday aft/early eve too, to see Stu Gibbo & maybe Davy Curry.
@Niall – the #hahb gig just got a mention on 6Music (about 5.15-5.20pm Monday), after a mention for The Hitchers. Lamacq wished he could be there! (well he actually said “when do we book the flights?”) Wonder how many listeners in Dub?
8 January 2018
Irish Niall
Just tweeted out thanks to him there CE.
That’s nice. I’d say there’s quite a few listeners over here. I’m hoping one or two of his counterparts on this side of the Irish Sea might do likewise. But I’m hoping -not expecting.
8 January 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Nigel have yourself a good un’ in Dublin.
12 January 2018
Irish Niall
Tonights HAHB gig in Dublin got a nice little plug in todays Irish Times
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-best-rock-and-pop-gigs-this-week-1.3348571
13 January 2018
dr desperate
Have a grand one Niall. We’ll wave down at you.
13 January 2018
EXXO
Now Dublin’s fair city’s
Heard thirty-one fine ditties,
From the first one -‘DD Eyes’
To the last – sweet ‘Trumpton’.
In a bar old and narrow
Niall sang like a sparrow
On cough drops and strepsils,
Alive, alive though.
[You can guess the rest.
…but so very sad to hear the news about Dolores out of the Cranberries just now (for those that don’t know, as a teenager Niall pretty much recruited Dolores into the Limerick band that became the Cranberries, more or less as his replacement in about 1990].
15 January 2018
Phyllis Triggs
In Dublin’s fair city
Where the hospitality (ouch!)
Is far beyond comparison,
With vocals so mellow
Niall thrilled Portobello
When Half Arsed Half Biscuit
Played live alive-o
(Sorry Exxo, couldn’t resist!)
That is sad news about Dolores. I had no idea of the connection between her, the Cranberries and Niall. Just shows the man’s musical pedigree. Condolences.
15 January 2018
EXXO
Hi Lou,
Did you swallow all the Guinness marketing blarney on Sunday then? As for your version of ‘Half Malone Half Biscuit’, well ‘Played live’ is simple but brilliant – same meter as just ‘alive’ – why didn’t I think of that? No ‘ouch’ from me for that rhyme either – pure class. But as for singing ‘far’ with the 5 syllables (fa-a-a-a-ar) it needs to fit the tune, well it’s different at least.
But did you see the brilliant song Niall posted yesterday on FaceAche? Some brilliant Blackwellesque rhymes here too.
https://vimeo.com/83850464
… but then a couple of hours after he posted it, the terrible news about Dolores, who was like musical family to Niall I suppose. Condolences to all who are feeling such loss.
16 January 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Dirk Hofman Motorhomes.
16 January 2018
Phyllis Triggs
Hi Nigel,
Nah, after a leisurely morning and a huge breakfast, time was running short so I jibbed the Guinness gimmickry in order to explore some of the more cultural aspects, namely a look around tall ship – The Jeannie Johnston – a replica of one of the actual ships that carried emigrants to America to escape the potato famine, and then a visit to the GPO 1916 Easter Rising experience – I think I made the right choices, both were captivating. Can thoroughly recommend.
January Drabs is brilliant! Ta for that. Certainly brightened this drab January eve.
Regarding Half Malone Half Biscuit – hadn’t even considered stretching that fa a a a ar! Ok, I wasn’t paying attention to the verse structure and it doesn’t fit in terms of syllables but I think it sings ok if you start off with the stress on the ‘is’, stretch out the ‘yond’, and then hammer out the syllables of ‘comp-a-ri-son’, or is that too torturous like the way some hymns are? ‘Hospitality’ works best in an Ian Paisley stylee tho obviously that would be completely wrong…
16 January 2018
Irish Niall
Thanks for the kind words about the show (about which there is a very nice review here: https://thecorribnotes.blogspot.ie/) and about January Drabs (which seems like such a long time ago now and which I sometimes wish I’d recorded properly) which I share on the third january of every year sometimes with a reminder that the days are already more than half an hour longer than they were on winter solstice.
Especially thanks for the kind words about Dolores. It can be said with even more certainty than usual that an absolutely leaden pall hangs over this wee town right now. People are really struggling to take it in. For truth and accuracy sake – I haven’t spoken to Dolores in well over two decades and wouldn’t have gotten to know her beyond pleasantries, idle chat and we did a bit of busking a couple of times. I’ve been asked to do a bit of press today and I’ve been squirming as people commiserate with me like we were BFFs. We just moved in different circles -and besides she’s lived in Canada or somewhere for most of her career. But christ that’s hard. Her youngest is the same age as my eldest.
16 January 2018
gipton teenager
@Exxo- I’d have to go with ‘Blackwellian’, rather than ‘Blackwellesque’.
18 January 2018
EXXO
Ah you see Tony I would reserve that one for ‘pertaining to’ or ‘typical of”, rather than the -esque which suggests ‘in the style of’ or possibly ‘influenced by’. I’d say this is a particularly significant distinction when it concerns an original song by a modest man who from time to time curates exhibitions of yer actual Crossley & Blackwell songs.
Sorry I missed you last weekend at the Brudenell. Went there as soon as I got back on Sunday even though I’d had 1 hour sleep in 48, and it was most excellent, though for me personally that was as much due to the quality and outcome of football on the telly as to great camaraderie and the most excellent ales. Will be there Saturday night for the tribute gig to our mate who I was telling you about – several old Woodhouse Wanderers – Stu, Davy Curry, Ricky Mariner, Rich Park etc should be there.
18 January 2018
GIpton teenager
I bow to your superior knowledge Nigel. I only got an O level in Eng. Lit. back when (insert cliché here). Could I play out on Saturday d’ya fink? Incidentally, did you see the Brudnell on TV last night? Obviously the exterior is not photogenic enough.
18 January 2018
Irish Niall
Hi again folks, I was on my fb this morning and that ‘see more memories’ thing popped up and upon having a gander into my jan 19th related past I noticed that the aforementioned January Drabs is a FREE DOWNLOAD from bandcamp. So fire away.
https://themetuneboy.bandcamp.com/album/january-drabs
19 January 2018
Peter Mcornithologist
love to see 2 of you fellows on bargain hunt with Nigel and my aunt Nancy as the 2 experts
19 January 2018
Phyllis Triggs
Half Arsed Half Biscuit at the Bello Bar Dublin – first gig of the year for me and what a grand way to kick off 2018!
Certainly, I was ready for a gig – one of the managers at work has been pissing me off more than usual these past few weeks and now – as if any more proof were needed to justify my negative opinions – I’ve discovered that she says ‘lacksadaisical’. Currently awaiting an opportunity to ask if she’s ever been to Copenhagen…
Meanwhile, back to Ireland –
Tucked away below stairs,The Bello Bar is a small, cosy venue. Whilst settling in to wait for the serving of the Guinness (there is something of the ritual about this in Dublin) I take in my surroundings and begin to wonder if I’m in the right place. Candle-lit tables and a bearded folk-singer cast a mellow mood and provide an unlikely setting for any Trumpton rioting. Doubts disappear however, as soon as I spot the ultimate signifier: behind the guitarist, modestly displayed, is a pair of Joy Division Oven Gloves.
As more people drift in the audience begins to take on a distinct identity. Exxo turns up – nice to see a familiar face – and I feel quite at home among HMHB t-shirts and impressively, several Dukla Prague shirts. The guy playing guitar has launched into some rock, cranking up the energy. Beckoning a couple of acquaintances from the crowd, he introduces them as ‘the two Ciarans’ and together they thrash out a gratifyingly raucous, unrehearsed version of Nick Cave’s ‘Mercy Seat’. Wow! Didn’t expect to hear that this evening!
Turns out that tonight’s support act is actually the new guitarist with Half Arsed Half Biscuit. Niall Quinn, lead singer and main man behind the Irish Biscuit project, points out how this shows real dedication to the cause – mirroring the recent change to the line up of HMHB. Didn’t catch the guitarist’s name but I was soooo impressed he could go straight from Mercy Seat to Dickie Davis Eyes – Respect!
The band were set up to play adjacent to a snug called The Sitting Room hence the performance taking place on a hearth rug amid a couple of standard lamps with pink shades (somewhat incongruous next to Niall’s orange amp – a most impressive piece of kit and thing of beauty in its own right – I certainly wouldn’t mind one of those taking up space in my sitting room!) As there is no stage, the audience down the front share floor space with the band. While this makes for an intimate gig it leaves little room for dancing/moshing without risking injury to yourself, the band or the equipment. Sitting on a stool behind a table just a couple of feet in front of the drummer while the band belted out danceable HMHB classics felt very strange. For Exxo such confinement proved intolerable and at several points throughout the performance he sprang into action risking simultaneously both his head and the low-hanging lights/speakers which threatened it. Despite the lack of space Niall encouraged more people to come forward and by the last few songs enthusiastic if restrained dancing had claimed what space there was.
If anyone in the audience was feeling a bit half-arsed about this gig it certainly didn’t show. I would hazard that most people there were familiar with at least some of the songs as there was plenty of singing along, and when Niall announced ‘Chatteris’ a lady to my right exclaimed ‘Ooh, I like this one!’. Fred Titmus provoked the appropriate responses and this small audience really did itself proud when came the song in Gwatkin. Particularly good to hear this one in a live environment – it’s been a while.
This was a lovely relaxed gig. In communicating with the audience Niall demonstrated the easygoing affable eloquence for which his fellow countrymen are famed; both he, and the band seemed completely at home, taking it all in their stride. At one point Niall had to stop play as the drummer had struck up with the wrong song. At another there was a bit of a conflab as to what came next, the guitarist got involved ‘..it’s a bit blue-grassy…weird chords and a bendy C..’ – turns out that one was Restless Legs! During Teenage Bride Niall sung the wrong verse but caught himself, kept going, and in true Ref’s Alphabet style talked himself back round to sing the right one. He apologised for the slight delay between songs caused by the band having to bend over to peer at the set list on the floor, ‘It must look like we’re engaging in some sort of weird Japanese-type bowing ritual after each song…’
Bowing rituals aside, Niall had come up with a very neat way of paying tribute – I can’t remember how they wove it in because they didn’t sing Lord Hereford’s Knob but they did an extended version of the ‘All of our songs sound the same’ section from that song. As well as Two Chevrons and Paradise Lost they referenced a whole load of other songs (damn! I wish I could remember which ones!) thus acknowledging the extent and quality of the HMHB back catalogue – afterall there’s only so much you can fit into a couple of hours!
So, how did it compare to an HMHB gig? HAHB are not a copycat band. Niall’s not trying to be Nigel Blackwell. The evening was more about coming together to celebrate a shared appreciation of a great band and great songs. Niall’s delivery demonstrated a deep empathy with the lyrics but he brought something different to them aswell, something of Niall. That extra dimension made it well worth the effort of getting my arse over to Dublin for this gig.
Much as I’d love to see HAHB cross the water I can’t help feeling this is a bit of a selfish demand as we’re already pretty well-catered for by the real thing (apart from on their home turf that is – how about a Liverpool gig Niall? I’m sure you’d have no problem shifting tickets for that one!) In the meantime please continue with your mission. In bringing the songs of HMHB to the Irish you’re doing fine work for the worthiest of causes!
19 January 2018
Irish Niall
Ah PT that’s brilliant. Thanks very much. Would you mind if I reposted that on the HAHB fb site?
By way of thanks here’s the full text of the extended outro of the Len Ganley/God Gave Us Life hybrid medley. Just a bit of fun to add an element of opera or stage musical to proceedings where numbers are reprised at the end. I know we’re taking a bit of licence with such things -and that singing a barre of Whipping Boys ‘When We Were Young’ has an element of Elvis sings Nirvana to it but hopefully it adds a bit of fun to it. Meanwhile we’ve to nail down the next one here at home. Mark will be spending some time in Belfast so he might be able to do a bit more groundwork there for us.
Limerick in late Spring can be very nice and I’m sure we’d be welcome in Cork too though their gig calender fills up quickly.
I mentioned Dundalk as well at the show. Not quite as handy for city dwellers here in Ireland (though on the motorway) and a slightly longer spin on the bus from the airport for nutters crossing water for us -but still only 45 minutes from Dublin airport.
I nearly forgot the promised GGUL outro ( I only sung half it on the night I’d say.)
C
G
All of our songs sound the
C G
same. You’re the reason why paradise
C G
lost. I’m keeping two chevrons
C G
apart. On top of Lord Herefords
C G
Knob. Some place like Bradford or
C G
Leeds. Because I’m a
C G
Trog. They love to see a dog on the
C G
pitch. Now I go and Pick the wife up
C G
There’s an Albert Hammond bootleg in the
C G
house. What would they
C G
know? Piss Cream candy Shoes
C G
We got a bad review, he’s On the Roids, Sus
C G
-pected Murderer of 2pac murder suspect
C G
Murdered The poor bastard driving the
C G
Train. The bloke who sets up the
C G
PA. The wrong grave for 23
C G
years
C G
Depressed beyond Tablets Deep House minbus appeal
C G
And still she wont give me a smile
C G
Monmore hares running
C G
Me and my girl seal clubbing. When the
C G
evening sun goes down
C G
I hate Nerys Hughes
C G
I left my
C G
heart in Papworth General. As
C G
told to a boil on a cab drivers neck. As
C G
told to a boil on a cab drivers neck. As
C G
told to a boil on a cab drivers neck. As
C G
told to a boil on a cab drivers neck
C G
19 January 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Loved the review Lou, Glad you had a good time….
19 January 2018
Phyllis Triggs
Cheers, Niall. Of course you can post it on the FB page – I’d be honoured! And many many thanks for the text of the extended outro – somehow it seems even more impressive seeing it written down, I get the feeling it could just run forever!
19 January 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Off to see The Damned tomorrow night, Punk trousers ironed….
30 January 2018
PeeJaygee
I went to see the Damned on Saturday 27th , in Dundee ( Caird Hall ) . I missed the support act , but really enjoyed the performance by the Damned . First time I’d seen them since summer of 1986 . Time flies by !
30 January 2018
warden hodges
Are we allowed to talk of other bands? In that case- Stranglers in Lpool next month.
31 January 2018
hendrix-tattoo
‘Course you can Warden’
I’m also going to see The Stranglers at the end of March….
31 January 2018
warden hodges
Cheers H-T and Bobby S.
On the day we wait for breaking news from our football clubs, this will be the breaking news that really matters.
31 January 2018
The dynamic entrance
Do any of you fine biscuiteers? Know if the boys ever gigged at The Wheatsheaf in Stoke in the early-mid nineties please? Sorry if I’m in the wrong room. (Or if its not called a room).
31 January 2018
gipton teenager
@H-Tat.Just seen your post Tony, hope you had a great gig last night. I remember when…
(takes out pipe and gazes into the middle distance)
… I saw the Damned at the Unity Hall in Wakefield in the early 80s. It was shortly after Malcolm Owen of the Ruts had died, but they (Ruts) did a few numbers and at the end of the gig EVERYONE was on stage. That was some moshpit!
Too much gobbing though.
By the way I can’t find any reference to this gig so I may have dreamt it all
1 February 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Hi Tony, Still a bit rough, Had a brilliant night The Damned were on top form.
Highlight for me was Dozen Girls especially if you were wearing purple underwear like I was.
Off to see AntiNowhereLeague on Friday night with an old school chum, Who I haven’t seen for years and bumped into at the concert. Also I would like to apologize to Jitsu-G for me not stopping to chat….
1 February 2018
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
@TDE (Post 121) – the list of HMHB gigs goes back to 1999 on Gez’s site https://cobweb.businesscollaborator.com/hmhb/guest/index.htm – while this Stoke City message board (http://oatcakefanzine.proboards.com/thread/227294/best-gig?page=2) talks of the lads playing Shelleys in Stoke in the 1980s. Anyone else know? And welcome to TDE if this is your first appearance here!
1 February 2018
EXXO
Don’t know. Me and Geoff have been trying to meet up for about 2 years now to try to get a bit of a list together from 1984-86 and from 1990-96. I am hoping to make this happen within weeks, though it’s a pity it couldn’t have been done before things started really rolling on the new LP. It won’t be very complete, though, as not even Geoff or Nigel have any sort of list or organised recollections. I’m hoping to be able to go through all the listings and ads in NME/MM/Sounds s in the British Library (or similar) before I meet them up with them about this.
Until he revamped his site in the last few weeks, Gez had them all from ’96. Hope he hasn’t lost the 96-98 reviews in the revamp cos there were some quality scenes sketched out therein.
1 February 2018
The dynamic entrance
Thanks @ GWA. Much appreciated. Its nice to find a group of like minds. Had 30+ years of family and friends who just refuse to get the brilliance.
1 February 2018
The dynamic entrance
@Exxo, that will be really cool. If any of you helpful folk are at the Bilston gig and happen to a generally homeless looking bloke in drab olive, say hello, I’d like to buy you a pint.
1 February 2018
The dynamic entrance
*see, sorry.
1 February 2018
Irish Niall
HAHB, in their more conventional Theme Tune boy manifestation, played support to The Damned here in Limerick last year. Cracking gig. Dave Vanian still has the best set of pipes in punk.
The Stranglers play here on March 2nd and, while I was never a massive fan, I’m looking forward to it immensely. Therapy? being on the bill sweetens the deal too.
While I’ve no recollection of whether HMHB played Stokes Wheatsheaf, my old unit The Hitchers played there in 1997. My memories are that the small but perfectly formed crowd were lovely, there were posters everywhere for a Whitesnake tribute act called Whatsnake and the old gent in the offie on the corner looked at my last crisp new £20 note which I’d to stretch over three days yet and said in jaded earnestness “I’m sorry sir that is a forgery”, before his daughter appeared behind him, squinted at my banknote, rolled her eyes and barked “it’s fine” and completed the transaction herself -leaving my off into the sunset with my bottles of newcastle.
1 February 2018
The dynamic entrance
Thanks @Irish Niall, do HAHB ever get to Wales? As I work out Barmouth and would love to check them out.
1 February 2018
The dynamic entrance
Two thirds into a nice single malt. Will be more legible in future.
2 February 2018
GIpton teenager
Mmm, single malt.
2 February 2018
EXXO
It seems to be random thread-jack week on here but I’ll carry on here with the relevant conversation.
Just got this from Gez:
(nothing for Stoke in those years by the way)
2 February 2018
GIpton teenager
Is it just me or is there something vaguely familiar about today?
2 February 2018
The dynamic entrance
Thanks @ exxo, really sorry for thread jacking, I’m very new to the site and the internet in general, please feel free to point me to the correct thread or room if I make this mistake again. I really don’t want to spoil such an amazing site. That Stoke question has been bugging me for bloody ages so thanks again.
2 February 2018
EXXO
If Candlemas dawns bright and fair,
The noisy roofers next door will soon be there.
If Candlemas brings rain but not until just after midnight**
It’s another six weeks of frustrating shite.
Both of these old proverbs have come true today.
** forecast for N.I., Cornwall, Anglesey, etc.
2 February 2018
EXXO
That was in reply to @Gipton Tony
@Dynamic Entro. No worries, I wasn’t moaning at you. Good to have you around.
2 February 2018
dr desperate
@Gippo Yes, this is traditionally the day when many people (I say many) go into HMV and re-arrange the DVDs so that as many shelves as possible have copies of ‘Groundhog Day’ at the front.
2 February 2018
GIpton teenager
Is it just you or is there something vaguely familiar about today?
2 February 2018
Irish Niall
@TheDynamicEntrance Howrya TDE -no we’ve never played outside Ireland -unless my singing Petty Sessions along to The Hokey Cokey at the kids club disco in Holland counts.
We’ve had a couple of enquiries and suggestions alright and, as Nigel himself has said he’d come see us if we played, I’m less conflicted about the idea of playing in Britain than I used be. So if we ever make it over it’d likely be somewhere in the Liverpool area as he appears reluctant to play there himself. Cammell Laird Social Club has been suggested.
After that it’s just the maths of it are currently a bit prohibitive. Obviously if I’d wanted to monetise being in a tribute band I’d have chosen a somewhat more prolific muse (like Muse! …actually scrub that idea. I can’t stand Muse) but we try to operate on a basis where we’re not actually losing money every time we play. So even couch surfing and using borrowed gear you’re talking hundreds just to get us there. Maybe when the Theme Tune Boy album is done we could ‘play support to ourselves’ and hopefully move some merch to make up the difference. But most touring bands who hope to feed themselves off merch takings end up going hungry.
4 February 2018
The dynamic entrance
@Irish Niall. That makes sense, its a pity that most labours of love pay shitly. If you do make it over there’s a little gig venue in Capel Curig. Also, I’ve got a static caravan near there that you could all use if it helps? Or I could just get off my lazy arse and go to Ireland.
4 February 2018
Chris The Siteowner
Work out the costs and we could set up a crowdfunder.
4 February 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
FAO King of Hi-Vis
I’ve just noticed some KOHV inspiration in this one from our Niall:
https://themetuneboy.bandcamp.com/track/park-the-bus
Possible slight influence of ‘Joy in Leeuwarden’ too.
12 February 2018
Irish Niall
@CTSO and @TDE So I says “So if we ever make it over it’d likely be somewhere in the Liverpool area as he appears reluctant to play there himself” ….ah here.
It’s not that I’m not pleased. I’m thrilled in fact and myself and my good lady are looking into the logistics of making it to Liverpool.
But I’d whiled away a good couple of evenings this last week on Ryanair and AerLingus working out the permutations for putting HAHB in Liverpool-ish sometime in the next 6-8 months only for the real thing to steal our thunder -and how.
Anyway, because education is never a waste, my time on the websites of those two champions of airtravel-for-all has taught me a valuable life lesson.
Get the boat.
I kid you not it would cost considerably more to put three guitars on a ryanair flight than it does to put three guitarists AND a drummer. Absurd carry on.
I was hoping to present a couple of scenarios and see if consensus could be built but any seem rather meek now -and we’d still have to become mates of a bloke with a PA. But like classic Peter Cushing I shall anxiously clasp my hands and announce a return to my important research.
12 February 2018
dr desperate
I wonder if Geoff’s decided yet on the support for Liverpool? Wouldn’t mind hearing ‘Park The Bus’ in a live environment.
13 February 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
@Niall
I guess you’ve looked at Aer Lingus Shannon to Brum (or Cork to Manc). You pay for two seats and the guitar case goes on the window seat next to you … but it needs to be about 4 inches shorter than most cases. I’m sure you know all this. Borrowed equipment, van to meet you @ airport, driver and great venue with PA could all be done as a package here in Leeds from mates who have done DIY for decades for visiting punk acts from overseas.
https://www.aerlingus.com/travel-information/baggage-information/musical-equipment/
I’ll email you some further thoughts.
13 February 2018
Irish Niall
@ Dr Desperate -Thanks for your words of endorsement and if the call ever came we’ll not be found wanting -though I’ve no doubt Geoff would sooner have a Probe act play support for reasons I understand all too well. I sometimes think the only time people part with cash for recorded music these days is when they’re halfway tanked. Sod it he can have our merch if it seals the deal.
Incidentally that Park The Bus tune was a joke that got out of hand -two jokes actually. What tends to happen in those lunar eclipse years that Ireland actually qualify for something is half the country releases a single in the hope of getting on the bandwagon and getting a bit of airplay. These singles are invariably for “charity” which loosely translated means morally strong-arming you into buying the dross to push it chartward. We did PTB with a strong emphasis that every bean raised was going to our summer holidays fund. We also intended it as a stalking horse for a much better rather diddly-aye tune I’d come up with called (basking in the afterglow of) The Boys in Green. But it never got recorded.
I also sketched out a rather nifty one (more self praise …I know) for Northern Ireland -but it’s entire premise hung on us (RoI) not qualifying -but then we got Estonia in the playoffs and the whole idea was banjacksed. I think Dana sung their last one! Not the Cher Impersonator rising up in Israel Dana either.
@Charles Exford –yeah I’ve checked a few options. Aer Lingus are a bit cheaper to bring instruments but then they more than make up the difference in overall price charged. I’d still prefer to go with them if possible though they’re not even an Irish airline any more. That Michael O’Leary twat just winds me up. We’re (HAHB/TTB) still looking into it but as has been pointed out in other threads –the real deal have booked 4 shows already for 2018 in 1000+ capacity venues. They’re spoiling us relative to other years so I’m not brimming with confidence about putting on another show in Ireland this year much less venturing into the (three) Lions den. But the idea of getting over is still great. Your punk mates would possibly very much enjoy the HAHB Kierans other band We Come In Pieces as well! I’m recording their album launch tomorrow night.
22 February 2018
Bobby svarc
There aren’t too many Probe acts still appearing live now to be honest
23 February 2018
dr desperate
According to his FB page JD Meatyard is supporting at Kentish Town and Manc. As we know, he’s now ex-Probe.
23 February 2018
Bobby svarc
You can never leave Probe.
23 February 2018
Irish Niall
@Phyllis Triggs -HAHB have a added another vid from January featuring the medley you referred to. We’re stuck for a title. God Gave Us Len? https://www.facebook.com/HAHBtrib2HMHB/videos/1769731666391237/
27 February 2018
Phyllis Triggs
Great vid Niall. I like God Gave Us Len as a title – it has the right sort of feel to it, directly referencing the songs and neatly reflecting the way the medley itself works as a tribute. Good to hear that again, ta.
28 February 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
FAO ‘The Dynamic Entrance’ about Stoke gigs.
I was looking (in vain) for something else, when I found this from someone called Tom, replying on one of the old HMHB Yahoo mailing lists in 2000 to a question very similar to yours. Maybe it was your question back then, too! If it seems like Groundhog Day, well it really is/was, ‘cos in the same month the suggestions amongst the members of that group for ‘celebrities who should be dissed on the next HMHB album’ included two Jeremies, just like our 2018 thread (not hard to guess which one is the same – still too obvious to get a mention though).
“Hi there, I don’t really know how this posting
messages stuff works. Just wanted to reply to the message
about The Biscuit playing gigs in Stoke-On-Trent.I’ve
seen them play The Wheatsheaf twice.At a gig a coupla
years back(Wolverhampton) I asked Nigel why they
weren’t playing there anymore.Apparently after The Sheaf
was taken over by Wetherspoons [who don’t do music], they
didn’t fancy playing any other Stoke venues, so they
just don’t bother anymore…He also said something
about not getting enough people turning up to gigs in
Stoke to make it worthwhile playing…As I remember
them, the gigs were pretty well attended, but there you
go…Hope I’ve answered your question, Tom R.” Dec 2001
28 February 2018
CHARLES EXFORD
Anyway the project of getting a list of early HMHB gigs together is gathering pace and who knows we may have dates for you before too long and we can start a distant, hazy recollections thread.
28 February 2018
The dynamic entrance
@Exxo. Thank you so much. I’m not going mad. It was one of those lovely nights that only come back to you in flashes but I swear I can recall yelling “don’t wear stripey keks’. Although the state I was in, I could have been doing that at Citizen Fish or someone? Thanks again.
7 March 2018
The dynamic entrance
It wouldn’t have been me asking back in 2001 though. I was still trying to avoid the internet back then.
7 March 2018
GIpton teenager
@TDE. Get yourself to Ruswarp, near Whitby.
No internet.
No WiFi.
Not even a mobile phone signal.
Plenty of dark beers for Exxo in The Little Angel, Whitby, though
7 March 2018
Phyllis Triggs
Pron. russup
7 March 2018
The dynamic entrance
God no. I’m now filled with the fervour of the converted. Hate it when the broadband’s down. (Still not got a mobile though).
8 March 2018
dr desperate
Bit of a niche English market, but Corkophiles could do worse than watch the grand BBC3 series ‘The Young Offenders’, the original fillum of which we made a special trip out to see when we were in The Rebel City (see post 28 above: you can take the HAHB fan out of Cork, etc).
All 6 half-hour episodes are available on iPlayer for the next five months. Contains very strong language, but in a Cork accent.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p05v9qqg
9 March 2018
GIpton teenager
…and I’m back in the room. Correct Phyllis. But how would you pron. the next village along Sleights?
10 March 2018
Bobby svarc
I used to visit the North Yorks Railway every year back in the nineties, we used to stay a nice B&B in Sleights called ‘Inkwells’, obviously the old school house. Most pronounced it Slates.
10 March 2018
Phyllis Triggs
Always called it ‘slights’ apart from when I was very young and couldn’t get my tongue around the ‘sl’ and called it ‘shites’. I think the old timers used to call it ‘slates’ and Staithes was ‘steers’.
10 March 2018
gipton teenager
Ah-Hah! Thanks Bobby and Phyllis. That explains why I’ve heard both pronunciations over the last week.
10 March 2018
GIpton teenager
Don’t know where to put this, but it’s my partner’s birthday today- on Mother’s Day- the last time this synchronization happened was on her actual birth day. Sadly her mother died last year, so couldn’t share the event.
11 March 2018
Hendrix-tattoo
Many Happy Returns Mrs.Gipton….
11 March 2018
Hendrix-tattoo
Off to see Stiff Little Fingers tonight at the Ritz 02.
Docs polished, Punk pants ironed and UFO Tee-shirt at the ready….
13 March 2018
Cream cheese and chives
First band I ever saw at Manchester Apollo. A couple of days before hand they had been the subject of a South Bank Show . An uncomfortable hour’s viewing with my dad sat on the settee tutting.
13 March 2018
GIpton teenager
@ H-Tat. Hope you had a good gig at SLF Tony. I just found out my second-favouritest band (They Might Be Giants) is playing 3 miles down the road from me in September…two days after I fly out to Turkey.
15 March 2018
hendrix-tattoo
A good time was had Tony, Jake and the boys were on top form. A few beers in a couple of the bars on Oxford road and a couple of dodgy and pricey beers in the venue. Was nice to catch up with a couple of old school chums who I have not seen for years. The next time the old punk pants are gonna get worn are for The Stranglers at the end of the month and Leamington to see the boys in April….
15 March 2018
hendrix-tattoo
@CC&C, Just found the South Bank show episode about SLF on Y.T. If you/or anybody are interested. Didn’t see it myself in 1979 because my family was so poor we didn’t own a telly….
https://youtu.be/loydtQRR4eA
15 March 2018
Cream cheese and chives
@ H-Tat.Thanks for that. My dad died over Christmas and watching that brought him right back in the room. ‘And you’re paying money to see that lot?’
15 March 2018
hendrix-tattoo
My condolences to you for your loss.
I lost my Old Man four years ago and I still miss him like mad….
16 March 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Docs polished, Punk pants and straight to hell Clash T-Shirt ironed.
Off to see The Stranglers tonight at the Manchester Apollo….
31 March 2018
EXXO
FAO Gipton Tony – Attila’s on earlier than I thought, but it’s a ranting poetry set first and it’s his band I really want to catch, so yeah I don’t reckon I’ll be there till well past 8.
https://www.ents24.com/leeds-events/the-fox-and-newt/attila-the-stockbroker/5252316
24 May 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Off to see P.I.L at the O2 Ritz tonight.
Docs polished, punk pants and Anarchy in the U.K tee shirt ironed….
16 June 2018
JITSU_G
Me too. I’ll look out for you
16 June 2018
Bobby Svarc
Very sad to hear of the passing of Nick Knox, saw The Cramps at Demont back in 1986, according to others I saw them the following night at Loughborough Uni too.
17 June 2018
EXXO
Ooh not great timing for me but thanks for the heads up Tony – I see Geoffrey Oi!cott are on Sunday afternoon …
6 July 2018
gipton teenager
@FTVP Steve. I have a birthday coming up soon and my partner asked me what I want. As you recommended James McMurty (pint still waiting), I wonder if you could suggest one of his CDs? (preferably one with Choctaw Bingo on).
12 July 2018
dr desperate
If you can’t find Choctaw Bingo, try this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cDUUuwGSK8
12 July 2018
gipton teenager
Hmmm Interesting Dr D… Do you think there’s any mileage in a Venn diagram of North American indigenous peoples and games of chance played in workers’ clubs?
12 July 2018
Featureless tv producer steve
@GT, sorry for the slow reply. Haven’t had a lot of spare time recently.
I know there’s weird psychology involved, but in the same way HMHB fans might still call Trumpton Riots their favorite song, McMurtry’s very first album is still my favorite. It’s called “Too Long in the Wasteland” and I still think it’s brilliant.
It came out in 1989, and parts of it are sadly dated now (I always loved the line “When a telephone rings in an empty room/Does it make a sound?” which seems really archaic now) but I still find it poignant and truthful and everything else he’s good at.
Also, in my humble opinion, Choctaw Bingo is one of those songs that are kind of disappointing to hear the studio cut after hearing it live. Not that it sucks or anything, but it sort of became his “Alright, let’s get into a groove thing and have some fun” live song, and the studio cut might leave you feeling a little bummed.
14 July 2018
Gipton Teenager
@FTVP Steve.
Thanks for that. The information has been passed to the relevant people. I know what you mean about live vs. studio versions. There was a band round Yorkshire a while ago called The Buttermountain Boys. Live, they caused raw pandemonium and jollity in equal measure, the studio album was swimming in reverb and, well… shite.
I owe you another pint .
14 July 2018
Quality janitor
At Friday night’s Trashcan Sinatras gig in Runcorn, lead singer Frank declared the final song, ‘Weightlifting’ to Nigel and the band, saying he’s a sweet guy who gave them a lot of encouragement. This was during recording for M, T & D at Shabby Road studio* in Kilmarnock, which was then owned by the Trashies.
He went on to say from time to time he sends an email via Probe but never gets a reply. Apparently they played a game of footie in the garden too. Wirral triumphed over Irvine.
*anyone know exactly where that was and if the building is still standing? Apparently it is/was an old Victorian place between two pubs and above the delightfully-named Ka Poo Chinese restaurant. Think I’ve tracked it down to Glencairn square but it’s been supermarketized like everywhere else these days
5 August 2018
dr desperate
According to a TCS fanpage, the studio’s address was 1, Glencairn Square, Kilmarnock KA1 4AQ, which appeared on Google Street View (June 2015) to have been converted into flats. Ka Poo had become the Marmaris Kebab House.
6 August 2018
quality janitor
Cheers Doc, anorak tendencies now sated
8 August 2018
Irish Niall
Hi to all. With the real thing having already booked half a dozen shows for 2019 booking HAHB gigs is looking more daunting than ever. Though here’s something that both suprised and enthused me – I contacted some of our county councils arts offices here in Ireland and pitched the show to them for Culture Night (third Friday in September) telling them about Belfast 2017 etc. Genuinely thought I was chucking a penny in a pond and waiting for it to float. Then three got back genuinely interested in putting it on. Now as it happens we can’t do it. The two Kierans/Ciarans are in Dublin doing a show with their own band We Come In Pieces and I’m doing an afterparty thing at Féile Classical in Tipperary.
But everybodies diaries are marked for 2019. We’ll book something else before that too I’m sure. Just not sure where yet.
In other exciting (to me!) news my old band The Hitchers are doing two shows in November. Galway on the 15th and Limerick on the 17th. http://www.thehitchers.gencodesigns.com/gigs.html
We’ve an emerging option for the 16th alright but currently everyones preferred option is to just go for a curry. (Mogul Emperor, Limerick -outstanding)
Meanwhile my chances of making it to Liverpool are hanging by a thread at this stage. Just can’t seem to make the flights line up with work commitments. But hoping against hope for a few favours to come in.
29 August 2018
dr Desperate
A million-to-one chance succeeds nine times out of ten.
29 August 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Off to see a band called Snail Mail tonight at some venue on Charles street in Manchester….
24 October 2018
dR Desperate
Yes.
24 October 2018
hendrix-tattoo
Docs polished, Punk pants and Pretty Green tee-shirt ironed.
Off to see the Macc Lads at the O2 Ritz tonight….
2 November 2018
Irish Niall
Hi folks, just wanted share this. My old band The Hitchers have a big anniversary this weekend and we’ve made all our releases free downloads for the weekend (or as much of it as Bandcamp will let us).
Free download link here. We’re on Spotify etc as well of course, as well as Twitter and Facebook.
Cheers and I hope this doesn’t breach rules on merchandising/promo. Like I said it’s completely free.
Odds looking long on me making ANY shows in 2019 now I’m afraid. I now have four weddings and hopefully no funerals I’ve to be at. All the best…
4 January 2019
bill dennis
Just discovered HMHB and need to buy CDs. Where to start? Top 3 please
11 February 2019
Chris The Siteowner
Tough one. Definitely “Creative Hub” because it’s the latest album and shows where the band are (as a plus, it’s great). I suppose “Back in the DHSS” to see where it all began, and for the band’s most famous material, although personally I don’t think it’s necessarily stood the test of time. Then it’d be a case of choosing the “best” album, and if you ask around, you’ll find supporters of every single one. When we last chose our favourite song, back in 2015, Kendo Nagasaki worked out that the most ‘successful’ album in the competition had been “Achtung Bono”, although there’ve been two albums since then, and a different way of working out the album league table (see subsequent comment to the one above) came out with “Cammell Laird Social Club”. You wouldn’t go far wrong with either of those.
11 February 2019
Brumbiscuit
Depending on your vintage, I would echo CTSO & definitely recommend Back in the DHSS. It is of its time, but still a top, top listen if you know of all the celebrities being dissected.
Macintyre, Treadmore & Davitt is their ‘comeback’ album and has some gems on it.
If you have Spotify, it might be worth listening to some of the tracks on there and seeing which ones you like and choosing albums thereafter.
11 February 2019
FEATURELESS TV PRODUCER STEVE
Welcome, Bill. As a relative latecomer myself, my humble opinion, in no particular order, is:
Achtung Bono
Cammell Laird Social Club
CSI: Ambleside
Others may scoff. Perhaps we need a Lux Familiar Cup for albums?
11 February 2019
transit full of keith
Didn’t John Peel say about the Fall when asked something similar, “you have to start with all of them”? Personally if I had to go for three I’d say Achtung Bono, McIntyre Treadmore & Davitt, and one of the recent ones – but which recent one is hard … 90 Bisodol (Crimond), Urge for Offal and Creative Hub are equally great, in different ways. All this is slightly complicated by three of their very best songs (‘National Shite Day’, ‘Thy Damnation Slumbereth Not’ and ‘A Country Practice’) being on other albums entirely.
So yes maybe just look at the track titles, see what intrigues you and get them in any order, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Order from Probe Plus though. They presumably get more. Also, you never know what might turn up.
11 February 2019
hendrix-tattoo
Buy em all Bill you’ll love em….
11 February 2019
parsfan
It doesn’t really matter, all their songs sound the same.
11 February 2019
dr desperate
Peel also said, “Anybody who can tell the five best Fall LPs, or the five best Fall tracks, has missed the point”. On to Lux Familiar 19!
11 February 2019
Bobby Svarc
this leaden pall
11 February 2019
Bobby Svarc
Bill, Give Geoff at Probe Plus a ring and I’m sure he’ll do you a deal up on all of the back catalogue you that he has in stock.
12 February 2019
QUickben
Having also recently discovered HMHB via Alehouse Futsal appearing in my Spotify recommendations and being a regular frequenter of my my local forestry events at Delamere Forest and having seen Elbow perform there, had my curiosity piqued and after Creative Hub became my album of the year, exploration of the back catalogue began. I think I now have everything that Geoff has had available plus ACD via Discogs and am very happy though not sure that SWMBO is as impressed. Especially now I am visiting places like York and Holmfirth after seeing them at the Ritz last year. It’s a slippery slope that will put you back at the front of the bus wearing your Joy Division oven gloves. Or something of similar ilk.
12 February 2019
GOK WAN ACOLYTE
Some very kind soul with plenty of time on their hands has compiled a Spotify Playlist of Radcliffe & Maconie’s The Chain, which features our lads several times https://open.spotify.com/user/lumpyn/playlist/51fZ523rfgK3oBR293NTJA?si=PgZ1MkftQcWnfpnbqop2Gw
12 February 2019
Gipton Teenager
I never thought I’d be able to say this,but-
It’s my partner’s birthday today and we’ve been “lying on a tropical beach somewhere, underneath a tropical sun…” Surely one of the world’s greatest love songs by Mr. Eric?
11 March 2019
hendrix-tattoo
“Pining away in a heatwave there
Hoping that I won’t be long
I should be lying on that sun-soaked beach with her
Caressing her warm brown skin
And then in a year or maybe not quite
We’ll be sharing the same next of kin
I’d go the whole wide world
I’d go the whole wide world
Just to find her
I’d go the whole wide world
I’d go the whole wide world
Find out where they hide her”
12 March 2019
dr desperate
Last time I saw Eric I happened to be wearing a Monkees tee shirt, and he told me that they’d covered WWW. Imagine my embarrassment at not knowing that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12J6SEGVydk
12 March 2019
Gipton Teenager
Last time I saw him he took exceptoon to somebody gobbing (it was quite a while ago) and launched himself into the throng and smacked the miscreant on the head with the mic. (Cue feedback). Then he returned to the stage and gave his thoughts on spitting in a colourful rant. ( Cue applause).
12 March 2019
hendrix-tattoo
Off to see the Sleaford Mods tonight at the Manchester Academy.
Sleaford Mods, Sleaford Mods, Sleaford Mods….
15 March 2019
Phyllis Triggs
Have a good one Tony. Hope Jason will still have some voice left for tomorrow night!
15 March 2019
hendrix-tattoo
Cheers Lou, They was absolutely top notch, Just having a hair of the dog in my local.
You have a good un’ tonight in sunny Kendal….
16 March 2019
hendrix-tattoo
Docs polished, Punk pants and Hendrix tee-shirt ironed.
Off to see the Stranglers tonight at the Manchester apollo….
30 March 2019
EXXO
Gipton Tony – lost your number. If by chance you are looking in, and by further chance you fancy a gig and a few pints tonight, my mate’s excellent band, and some others, are playing his birthday at The Primrose tonight.
Here’s a powerful post-punk promo they produced recently.
https://loudwomen.org/2019/03/31/radio-partizan-breaking-news-video-of-the-day/?fbclid=IwAR0YUyZ4FqIlppQ15V1bb50M5W7FXs1uCXHUcv0q3TSGF6BZ_9y8_RvASOU
12 April 2019
Gipton Teenager
Exxo-What a bummer! The video was excellent. Took me right back to my middle age. Shame I missed the gig, hope you had a good time (I haven’t been in the Primrose for decades). This site is the closest I come to social meeja, maybe I should check in more often. I’ll ring you on the number I have for you Nigel. Then you’ll have my number all over again.
13 April 2019
EXXO
Thanks for the text Tony. Was a good gig but the Primrose had NO REAL ALE!!
Still can’t send texts. As regular readers may vaguely remember, my age-old SIM card got damaged at the 2017 Sheffield gig when my phone smashed in the mosh. I have finally this week received a new generation SIM card which should work if I use Mrs. Exford’s cast-off smart phone… but the instructions say I have to text “SWITCH” from the old SIM card first, which I can’t. I may well probably mope around depressed about this for a few more months before I do anything about it.
Meanwhile your number is already in the (relatively) new phone and I’ll call you when there’s another decent gig.
14 April 2019
hendrix-tattoo
Off to see the Specials tonight at the Manchester Academy….
28 April 2019
Huddersfield’s very own Steve malkmus
Future Of The Left are worth a listen for any HMHB fan, not really a “soundalike” but there’s definitely a kinship in terms of wit and lyrical humour. Saw them at the Brudenell a few years ago and recently revisited their stuff. Like HMHB they seem to be an “album every three years” band, so they’re probably due some new material soonish.
1 May 2019
brumbiscuit
@HVOSM: Recommend some tracks, please. Sheena is a T-Shirt Salesman was a little strident for my delicate tastes…
2 May 2019
Huddersfield’s very own Steve malkmus
“Goals in Slow Motion” is a good place to start, as is “The Real Meaning of Christmas”. Album-wise (is that still a thing?) I’d say either “How to Stop Your Brain in an Accident” or the live album “Last Night I Saved Her From Vampires”.
They formed from the ashes of McLusky who were also pretty good but my personal opinion is that the later incarnation is better (and funnier).
3 May 2019
Huddersfield’s very own Steve malkmus
P.S. A less “rocky” selection would be “French Lessons” and “Why Aren’t I Going to Hell?”, both on the aforementioned HTSYBIAA lp.
3 May 2019
EXXO
Is it just me that’s thinking the new Fat White Family choon that’s ripping up the airwaves as we speak sounds remarkably like a glam rock version of Time creeping up unseen and putting me back at the front of the bus? What a choon and video though, well played FWF! Worth pausing through the very rapid credits (which aren’t at the end). Silly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLTWNfyMS5Y
3 May 2019
Phyllis Triggs
Definitely, Exxo. Hard to hear at first as I’m LMAO – what a great video! Off to see FWF tomorrow night:)
3 May 2019
The harbinger of nothing
Re Future of the Left: great band.
@Steve Malkmus: a new album is due later this year.
@Brumbiscuit: my personal favourite track is called destroywhitchurch.com, which was only released in demo form on the Polymers Are Forever EP. Try also Sorry Dad, I Was Late For The Riots, How To Spot A Record Company, or You Need Satan More Than He Needs You.
I have often wondered whether HMHB were / are an influence for Falco, a.k.a. Andrew Falkous, the frontman of FotL and, before that, McLusky.
3 May 2019
Huddersfield’s very own Steve malkmus
@Harbinger
Thanks for the update on the new album. Agree with all your recommendations: this discussion led me to relisten to all their stuff yesterday, and “Sorry, dad…” has been an earworm (in a good way) ever since.
4 May 2019
hendrix-tattoo
Off to see the Undertones tonight with JITSU_G at the 02 Ritz Manchester.
Let’s hope I’m sober enough to get in….
11 May 2019
dr desperate
Don’t forget to take a coffee receipt just in case.
11 May 2019
hendrix-tattoo
Off to see a band called the Beths tonight in Band on the Wall….
https://youtu.be/CV3Bjx-vPTg
15 May 2019
transit full of keith
I see there’s a Wirral Folk Festival on in Ellesmere Port this weekend with one of those flyers that brings to mind ‘Fun Day in the Park’, if you scroll down here:
https://www.wirralfolkonthecoast.com/
Also featuring “The Upbeat Beatles”, if the Upbeat Mark Chapman fancies stopping by.
30 May 2019
hendrix-tattoo
Off to see Karl’s band The Band-its tonight in New Brighton….
28 June 2019
Bobby Svarc
A man who informs people that he’s going to see a band in New Brighton and seemed to want a medal
28 June 2019
warden Hodges
Expect queues at the Wetherspoons and the Perch Rock chippy today. H-Tat.
28 June 2019
neil
28 June 2019
neil
28 June 2019
Warden Hodges
Cracking pub that. Tucked away lovely from the masses.
28 June 2019
EXXO
Having watched New Brighton basically close down as I grew up, it’s great to hear that there are sometimes ‘masses’ there again, that need tucking away from! The Magz in my young mind was always bound up with tales of smuggling at Old Mother Recap’s …
After his one and only gig there, Attila the Stockbroker wrote verses contrasting New Brighton, somewhat lacking in verve he found, with the original one, his home town … it’s all about expectations, I suppose.
If I don’t make it tonight, Tony, and it’s not looking likely – have a good one!
I can’t concentrate, I’m in a state
I don’t feel straight, I can’t love or hate
I can’t feel nothing, can’t feel no sting
Only just learning, I ain’t a king…
I’m in rut, I’ve got to get out of it
28 June 2019
hendrix-tattoo
I must agree with Joe Public & The General Consensus – Merseyrail does Stink Of Shit….
28 June 2019
The harbinger of nothing
I’ve only vaguely heard of Attila the Stockbroker, but I found out recently that one of my colleagues used to be his bass player.
29 June 2019
brumbiscuit
A mate of a bloke tells me the band might be playing at Attila’s festival next year. Possibly bollocks, but why let that get in the way of a story?!
1 July 2019
EXXO
I know he certainly invites them every year! But ‘cos it’s only the tiniest little festival with the tiniest little budget, he’d have to arrange and get someone to promote a proper gig in Brighton or nearby for them as well, to make it worth their while.
It’ll be less likely that Attila thinks it is, but he’s certainly persistent.
1 July 2019
GORDON BURNS
You mean the one on the farm at Coombes?
1 July 2019
Bobby Svarc
“make it worth their while* Can’t honestly believe that the band are driven by money, are they?
2 July 2019
EXXO
Well I’m no Mr. Spokesman, but there’s a difference between motivated by money (obviously not) and having to somehow make a living while doing the minimum (fact of life for Mr.B). It’s all on record that Nigel doesn’t do it for fun, hates the idea of touring, only reluctantly uses hotels (see interviews and Mileage Chart), and won’t sleep in people’s spare rooms/vans/tents, like say Attila does, or most of the people at his festival do. Half the band do it for a living, and they won’t do two in a row unless it’s a bit of an earner and somewhere they want to go. When you look at the very few non-earner gigs along the lines of one for the John Peel Centre in Stowmarket (2013), which of course had to be done, then it was paired with one for proper pay the next night in Cambridge. Or the one for a mate of the bloke at the Barn in Ilminster, with a big one the next night in Bristol (2014).
2 July 2019
BOBBY SVARC
OK, Thanks.
2 July 2019
EXXO
Could some kind soul with a FaceBache account ask Karl for a list of upcoming Band-its gigs?
Suggested route – Jalapenos page then message or comment to “Charlie Davidson.”
18 October 2019
BOBBY SVARC
Here you go Exxo, From KB
This is what we’ve got for the immediate future:
Fri 1 Nov – Old Market Tavern, Altrincham
Fri 8 Nov – Stanley’s Cask, New Brighton
Sun 17 Nov – Swinging Arm, Birkenhead (4.30pm)
Sun 24 Nov – Tank, St Helens (7pm)
Fri 29 Nov – Spring Gardens, Marple Bridge
18 October 2019
EXXO
Much appreciated, Mick, great stuff.
And if you don’t have a team in the hat for the first round draw on Monday evening (BBC2), then your ‘jeopardy’ can be that if Tranmere get drawn at home for the 9th November, Exxo can go to Karl’s gig on the 8th.
One shot on target tonight and that was a penalty. Going down.
18 October 2019
EXXO
I was supposed to go to see Richard Dawson in Leeds last Friday, till I noticed that the only two gigs I had in my calendar for the rest of the year were in fact on the same night.
One of the great football songs:
https://youtu.be/NkSvn23fbAg
27 November 2019
dr desperate
Great indeed.
That ‘Kings Priory School’ (no apostrophe) whose bastards were kicking lumps out of the protagonist was the alma mater of both Stan Laurel and Lindisfarne’s bassist Rod Clements, and Giuseppe Garibaldi stayed there whilst in exile in 1854.
27 November 2019
lord leominster
I just googled ‘Kings Priory School’ (no apostrophe) with no real purpose in mind and the first thing that their website presents to the world in large, bold, yellow capital letters is ‘ITS NOT TOO LATE!’ (no apostrophe). It probably is too late, it probably is.
28 November 2019
Gipton TEENAGER
I’m in the pub and there’s a beer on the bar called ‘Utility Muffin Research Kitchen’.
6 December 2019
hendrix-tattoo
The muffin man is seated at the table
in the laboratory of the utility muffin
Research kitchen… reaching for an
oversized chrome spoon he gathers an
Intimate quantity of dried muffin
remnants and brushing his scapular aside
Procceds to dump these inside of his shirt…
He turns to us and speaks:
Some people like cupcakes better.
I for one care less for them!
Arrogantly twisting the sterile canvas
snoot of a fully charged icing
Anointment utensil he poots forths
a quarter-ounce green rosette (oh ah yuk
Yuk… let’s try that again…!)
he poots forth a quarter-ounce green
rosette Near the summit of a dense but
radiant muffin of his own design.
Later he says:
Some people… some people like cupcakes exclusively, while myself, I say
There is naught nor ought…
6 December 2019
EXXO
I bought ‘Joe’s Garage part 1’ in 1979 on the strength of the single … but realised it didn’t exactly fit in with the politics I was heading towards, and that it would be undisplayable, if not unplayable, when I got to college. So although I still think of the album fondly …I have never even heard parts 2 & 3, and thus ended my Zappa phase.
6 December 2019
Gipton TEENAGER
1. I believe Steve Holt (founder of Kirkstall Brewery and school pal of a footie team mate of mine in an earlier incarnation of Exxo’s team) was/is a fan of FZ
1. I thought that would get the attention of H-Tat (hi Tony!)
3.The bar staff thought the name was totally made up. I enlightened them to the flotilla of airships passing over the pub.
4. It was £5.20 a pint, and I’m a Yorkshireman so…
5. I understand Lady Gaga has bought the Zappa pile, I wonder if she uses the UMRK.
6 December 2019
hendrix-tattoo
Morning Tone….
https://youtu.be/HGV3yV9q4Q4
7 December 2019
Gipton TEENAGER
Morning Tone.
Now THAT’S what I call a wake-up call!
I’d send you something back, if I knew how to.
7 December 2019
Lord leominster
(Not sure if this is a PBR or The Difference Between Us…) Recently listened to ‘Burglar’ by The Damned (originally the ‘b’ side to ‘Smash It Up’, 1979). A mighty fine song all round but mentioned here as it contains the two consecutive lines “I’ll even have the milk off your doorstep
Or the skin off a baby seal’s back”. Some good, sustained dog barking in the outro, too, which would, possibly, be pleasing to Bobby Svarc.
10 December 2019
dr desperate
Following comments about the UMRK, the following, Tone, is a reference, Tone:
Zappaphiles may be interested to know that Scouser tribute band The Muffin Men will be touring the UK next May/June, starting at Birko’s Swinging Arm and visiting such fine establishments as The Green Hotel, Kinross and Preston Continental.
At Stockport’s Spinning Top they’ll be supported by CP Lee, friend of this site. (Factory completists may recall he co-produced FAC-2, the first vinyl release on the label. His ‘Gerry & The Holograms’ single was Zappa’s favourite.)
12 December 2019
Gipton TEENAGER
@Dr.D. Ha ha, I like the quote (maybe I should rename myself ‘reference, Tone ‘).
I think I saw CP Lee in the late seventies in the Charlie Parkas in the March of the Slobs tour. Very funny night.
13 December 2019
dr desperate
Blimey, The Charlie Parkas, of course The Charlie Parkas! I saw them on the last night of that tour (early 1980, in point of fact, @Tone, supporting The Sm!rks), the homecoming gig at Manchester Poly, which started with The CPs abseiling down from the gallery wearing balaclavas to play ‘Hand Grenade Of Love’. I saw them a dozen times at various Manc venues, and their spin-off The Dizzy Gillespies 20-odd times.
At Bilston I mentioned to Nigel that CP Lee had been our guest to the last couple of Ritz gigs and he said, “Bring him backstage at the next one and I’ll get him to sign my Albertos albums”.
And for those too young to recall the glory that was Albertos Y Lost Trios Paranoias, here’s a little Christmas present:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB-qL_QHP14
14 December 2019
Bobby Svarc
Bang your head on the wall. Thank you for the card, love it x
14 December 2019
Gipton TEENAGER
‘Italians From Outer Space’ still holds its own in my vinyl yards.
14 December 2019
CARRIE ANNE
Saw Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip last night, and the support act was Helen Rice, who had been one of the performers in Half Mandolin Half Biscuit a few months ago.
We got chatting, and she handed me a flyer for a gig at The Greystones, Sheffield on 23rd December. Ian Dury & The Blackheads are playing, and Half Mandolin Half Biscuit are the support act, in only their second ever gig. From what we saw before, they’re well worth ‘catching’.
http://www.mygreystones.co.uk/december/
15 December 2019
Alice van der meer
“playing the songs of the seminal English band with a very similar name.”
Nice line!
15 December 2019
EXXO
Thanks for the heads up on that Karen. An outside chance I could make it.
Your mention of Mik Artistik though makes me want to plug his gigs as well! I remember that early in 2018, at the end of a hard winter he actually turned up randomly on my doorstep one afternoon, going door to door offering to sketch people for a few quid, he was that hard up! So it’s good to see he has a few gigs coming up, and I’ll try to catch him at the Brude on Saturday. Lovely, lovely man as well as rich entertainment – buy his CD’s etc.
Fri 20 DEC
Gullivers, Manchester
Sat 21 Dec
Brudenell, Leeds
Thursday 30 Jan
Square Chapel, Halifax
Fri 28 Feb Keighley
15 December 2019
gipton TEENAGER
Today I am very sad, having just learned of the death of Neil Innes.
Nothing I can put here can do justice to this matchless man.
A proper shitty end to a shitty year.
30 December 2019
Alice van der meer
Can’t argue with that, GT. Always loved the Bonzos – turned out a friend knew Larry back in the day (though Larry himself told me he was probably too pissed to remember him, sad to say), and found out today that another one used to serve Viv in a record shop. It’s a small world…
30 December 2019
hendrix-tattoo
R.I.P Neil Innes….
https://youtu.be/oJqRx-V5nVA
30 December 2019
Pirx The Purist
An enormous talent as a songwriter.
I’m convinced that if you played The Rutles’ stuff next to the Beatles’ ‘equivalent’ to someone who wasn’t particularly familiar with the Moptops’ output, they would have a hard time guessing which was the ‘original’ and which the pastiche/homage.
Lennon himself pointed out the perils of this when he advised Innes & Idle not to put Get Up And Go on the Rutles LP. This was borne out when the suits at ATV Music – who owned the publishing rights to the Beatles at that time – sued Innes for 50% of the royalties on the track which did feature on the album.
31 December 2019
Pirx The Purist
Sorry, ‘tracks’.
31 December 2019
gipton TEENAGER
I had to play “Taking Off” today and I still reckon that “Randy Raquel ” is one of the finest love songs ever written.
31 December 2019
gipton TEENAGER
*Yesterday, just off to bed now.
31 December 2019
gipton teenager
@FTVP Steve. Remember when you started this thread, almost 3 years ago? I finally got “Too Long In The Wasteland” for Christmas, and what a fine album it is. There are good tunes and excellent lyrics aplenty. I expect the towns and people of which he writes have changed little in the last 30 years.
7 January 2020
featureless tv producer steve
@GT – I hadn’t really thought about it that way, but sadly, you’re probably right. The boys talkin’ at the Texaco today are just the sons of the guys talking there back in the 80s. And we’re all still painting by numbers…
Anyway, glad you like it. Also glad to hear it’s not quite so dated that it can’t be enjoyed by fresh ears.
8 January 2020
dr desperate
@Parsfan The Lovely Eggs did a R6M session for Marc Riley on 4.3.20 (two nights before the Bristol gig), which you can still catch here for the next two weeks.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000fvxy
(You may have heard him last night read out a text from me, passing on their plea for fans not to apply for refunds for re-scheduled gigs.)
19 March 2020
Alice van der meer
Indeed we did hear it.
19 March 2020
parsfan
This might not be the best place for this, but we’ll see where it goes.
A while ago, I’ve lost track, maybe even before all this started, I had the realisation that from “Half way up the Wrekin…” to “…and getting paid as well” fits perfectly to the tune of Cool For Cats. There’s been times since when there’s been little else in my head, but then I found Trumpton works also works quite well and they’d be competing for air time, seguing seamlessly from one to the other and back again. For a while Dean Friedman found his way in there but I think it was more just singing in Chris Difford’s voice rather than it really fitting the tune.
Anyone do anything similar? Do any full songs work somewhere else? This isn’t the quiz I mentioned earlier, just another possible distraction if you find yourself at a loose end.
I have often wondered if any songwriters write songs this way – write new lyrics to an existing one and then change the tune. Or, better still, get someone else to independently write a new tune for the original song then put the new words and new music together. It’s what I would do.
8 April 2020
dr desperate
Funnily enough, @PF, we had an exchange in 2011 about exactly the same consonance (see the ‘Rod Hull Is Alive – Why?’ thread, posts 8-12). Bobby String pointed out the similarity, I countered with ‘Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream’ and Acidic Regulator predicted your involvement now.
In his autobiography ‘Some Fantastic Place’ Difford says that he wrote ‘Cool For Cats’ after watching Benny Hill (q v) on TV, and trying to mimic his style.
I’ve seen Jon Boden from Bellowhead explain that their song ‘Rosemary Lane’ was just ‘Scarborough Fair’ with new words, and a new tune.
9 April 2020
parsfan
Yes, thanks John. It’s entirely possible that’s what planted the seed – my memory isn’t what I like to think it used to be.
So often on here, I read something and mean to reply later but by the time I remember, if at all, I decide too much time has passed and let it go. Now, a week later, here I am replying to your prompt response.
16 April 2020
EXXO
I think when lyrics fit the metre of other songs by other artists, it’s generally likely to be the result of the writer using the same set metre, rather than basing a lyric on the other song (unless of course they are parodying that song). Hence the interchangeability of a lot of blues, skiffle, music hall, comedy or folk lyrics.
You generally don’t need to write English rock/pop/folk lyrics in a regular rhythm, because if you’re any sort of skilled vocalist/rapper/spoken word artist you can compress extra unstressed syllables between the beats (which incidentally is one of the many reasons why doggerel that sounds good sung or spoken often looks shite on the page).
Only a small minority of pop songs are written with a regular poetic rhythm. Chris Difford wrote a number of lyrics like that: ‘Cool for Cats’ is in a distinctive fourteen syllable metre, and so is ‘Up the Junction’. They fit nicely with the big influence of Skiffle/music hall music on Squeeze – try singing the lyrics of say ‘My Old Man’s a Dustman’ (or if you prefer, Greg, Monochrome Set’s ‘My Old Man’s a Viscount’) to the tune of ‘Cool for Cats’ and it works fine too.
Mr. B penned at least three early lyrics which fit the same meter (and therefore any tune with the same meter): Trumpton, I Hate Nerys, and (the most regular of all) Rod Hull. Just as you can sing those songs to ‘Cool for Cats,’ you can also sing them to ‘My Old Man’s a Dustman.’
But the second separate issue here is that part of the tune of ‘Rod Hull’ sounds so much like ‘Cool for Cats’ that it cannot be coincidental. I think probably realising this, the band have made a huge effort to make most of the song sound totally different from ‘Cool for Cats’, and to put the bit that does sound the same in the middle, and have succeeded. In terms of musical structure and variations in tempo, it ends up as a pretty unconventional and very original song.
Could it originally have been two songs, one of which was written very early in the band’s history, based on Cool for Cats, or the bass line of Cool for Cats at least? We’ll probably never know, but no it’s not a coincidence.
What is good is that your find (Paul) is a stand-out, so thankfully musicologists of the future won’t be able to do this too often with HMHB songs, except of course for those which deliberately quote or parody other artists. Neil & Nigel seem very good at editing out what is overtly derivative but still being able to conjure up almost any style or genre in order to reference it or parody it.
And to answer your main question Paul, apart from parodies, I think only lyricists with (look dad) no tunes would resort to writing new lyrics to old tunes, while waiting for musical inspiration, or for the right band to come along and find them in the practice room. Thankfully again that doesn’t seem to have been an issue for Our Lads.
18 April 2020
EXXO
Sorry. Anyone got a quid for my poetic meter?
All of songs sound the same.
We’re keeping two meters apart.
You’re the reason why Tannadice lost.
18 April 2020
dr desperate
The distinctive fourteen-syllable meter is, pleasingly, known as a fourteener (sometimes iambic heptameter if you’re into that whole Greek thing), and in English poetry dates back to the 16th century.
It was used by Blakey (q v) in his ‘Book of Thel’ (covered by Bruce Dickinson on ‘The Chemical Wedding’ solo album) and by Tolkien in Galadriel’s ‘Song of Eldamar’ in ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ (q v).
As noted by Chris Difford, Benny Hill (I’m going to stop saying q v now) employed it extensively in his oeuvre, including ‘Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)’.
On a personal note, I once wrote a threnody for our departed West Highland Terrier Tina, called ‘Fourteener For Tina’, but I won’t trouble you with that.
22 April 2020
dr desperate
There’s also my favourite piece of piscatorial poetry, ‘A False Gallop of Analogies’ by Warham St Leger, which begins:
“There is a fine stuffed chavender, a chavender, or chub
That decks the rural pavender, the pavender, or pub,
Wherein I eat my gravender, my gravender, or grub”.
23 April 2020
dr desperate
Not really (or at all) to do with HMHB, but in these trying times I wonder if I could ask members of this group for some help.
I’ve finally got round to uploading onto Spotify the titles from 16 C90 cassettes (ie 24 hours of music) that I taped off the radio in the late 70s / early 80s. Unfortunately I didn’t take notes on who any of the songs were by, so inevitably I’ve forgotten some of the artists’ names.
Much has been gleaned from Google and Shazam, but I still have 3 missing names.
So, for no prize whatsoever, can anybody name that tunesmith for:
1. A 1978-ish punky number with a Batman theme-like tune called ‘James Bond’?
Sample lyrics: “James Bond, he’s oh so clever,
James Bond, he’ll live forever”.
2. A 1980-ish slide guitar-based one called ‘Slide’?
“I got a handy little well-rehearsed manoeuvre
On your marks, take a deep breath, rack it up and slide”.
3. A 1981-ish Teardrop Explodes sound-alike called ‘Walk On The Water’?
“Never leave until tomorrow
All that you can do today-o.”
Thanks awfully.
3 May 2020
dr desperate
Got No. 2: it’s The Waitresses.
3 May 2020
EXXO
Now that you mention it I have vague memories of Peel playing that one.
https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/Waitresses
It was apparently released under the name of The Waitresses before Chris Butler even had a band to go with the name. I was always a bit suspicious of “I Know What Boys Like” and reading that the band did not even exist when he was touting the song round hit factories would seem to vindicate that. It was literally what it said on the tin – a song to tantalise teenage boys.
Anyway if I were you I’d use your quest as an excuse to trawl through literally hundreds of Peel shows, some with extensive track listings, some not. For example, here’s a link to all the 1979 listings.
https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/17_December_1979
3 May 2020
EXXO
I like to think that if John Peel was posting links he’d be getting it wrong as often as I do. Anyway, you get the idea
https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/17_December_1979
3 May 2020
EXXO
I’ll try once more. If I’m not careful I’ll end up like Hobbs and imagining I’m “channelling his [f*cking] spirit.”
https://peel.fandom.com/wiki/Category:1979
3 May 2020
outoftunesmith
No.3 is: ‘Walk On The Water’ by The Cuban Heels. It was released as a single, but also recorded for a Peel Session, so you’ll need to do just a little more gleaning!
4 May 2020
dr desperate
Nicely, OutOfTunesmith, thanks very much!
Spotify has the single version, but not the Peel session I recorded it from, which is far superior. It was ungleanable as it appeared as ‘Walk On Water’ (though the hunt did bring up John Martyn’s ‘Walk On The Water’, giving me an excuse to listen to ‘Bless The Weather’ again.)
4 May 2020
outoftunesmith
This time I’ll try and get the band AND song title right!
I think No.1 is: ‘James Bond’ by Ralph and the Ponytails. From a 7″ called ‘Shaken Not Stirred’ which apparently has just this one (identical) track on both sides, and was produced by Jon Langford.
4 May 2020
dr desperate
Blimey, @OOTS, top, top gleaning – it IS ‘Shaken Not Stirred’! And what’s more, I’ve got that single!
I can confirm that it has ‘James Bond’ on both sides, though that seems to have been a mistake, as the cover has ‘Private Eye / Chance’ as the original B-side, cunningly felt-tipped out.
Thanks again.
4 May 2020
lord Leominster
Hugh Cornwell posted on Twitter that Dave Greenfield “was the difference between The Stranglers and every other punk band.”
5 May 2020
lord leominster
“The difference between this group and most other groups is that they sound a lot better than us.” Captain Sensible – Live At The Milky Way (q.v.), 1994.
21 July 2020
dr desperate
I can’t think of any link to HMHB except that we met him at the Holmfirth gig last year, but on Sunday night there was a triumphant, though brief, return to BBC R3, playing music he recorded around the world from 1986 to ’91 on his Sony Walkman Pro (“the AK47 of cassette recorders”) by Andy Kershaw (the AK47 of radio presenters).
It’s available for over a year, with another instalment next Sunday.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000mrgj
22 September 2020
EXXO
Thanks so much for the heads-up John. At the risk of exposing myself even more obviously as the kind of person from whom the piss is ripped in most HMHB lyrics, those were the recordings that inspired me to go on musical journeys of my own, in the days when you just looked in the paper in Harare to see where Thomas Mapfumo or Stella Chiweshe were playing. Andy never did any of that ‘cos is was trendy, he did it cos it was good and worthwhile and thereby I suppose he made it trendy. Same could be said of Eno, Gabriel, etc. All ahead of the game.
22 September 2020
dr desperate
Anyone interested in that kind of thing could contact the producer of the programme, Roger Short, at Radio 3 and ask politely for more AK.
sundayfeatures@bbc.co.uk
22 September 2020
gipton teenager
,,,and I’m back in the room. Not dead yet. Sadly though, Bob Golinsky is. 40 years ago I heard ‘Bloody’ by The Golinsky Brothers on the Peel show and the (nearly) very next day I went out and bought the single. That’s the sort of thing people used to do back then. There’s an obituary by his partner in last Saturday’s Grauniad
27 October 2020
EXXO
A classic single indeed. Anyone who hasn’t sung “I’ll send my giro to Cairo” after errm, receiving a giro, has never heard a song which Peel introduced on 02/01/80 as “the best record in the world for this week”. Afterwards he rightly declared that “People have been given the OBE for less, a lot less, and I shall be very happy to have it on a loop so I could listen to it again and again and again after the programme as I drive out to the mountain vastnesses of Wallingford.”
Tony – a Brighton punk stream of thoughts leads me to tell you that TV Smith is live on Facebook next Tuesday I think – on a Facebook page called “Attila the Stockbroker introduces” which has live gigs every Tuesday – tonight comedian called Steve Gribbin out of Skint Video (glad I missed Dean Friedman last week though).
27 October 2020
gipton teenager
I don’t ‘do’ social media, This is about as close as I get. I miss out on loads of stuff, but that’s OK as I’m angry enough without all the crap on t’internet and that.
27 October 2020
dr desperate
Peel would occasionally sing ‘Bloody’ when he forgot to bring the record into the studio, and two copies of it were found in his Record Box after he died.
Bob Golinski became a barrister in Manchester after disbanding the Brothers, and in 2013 formed a band called Red Corner with three fellow silks, releasing a charity CD of four covers including ‘I Fought The Law’. Still, you gotta have a larf.
27 October 2020
EXXO
I happened to come across a familiar voice talking about Quo today, on a podcast from about 6 months ago:
https://anchor.fm/quocast/episodes/Charlie-Davidson-ed7gh8
Benson (1.40) and Quid Pro Quo (4.25) run at Hereford this afternoon.
2 November 2020
EXXO
Karl’s double comes in at 7/1 there 🙂
2 November 2020
EXXO
I can get really irked when radio or TV shows plug or give undue exposure to things on platforms and channels that many people don’t have. So I was proper foaming at the mouth when RadMac were talking to Stuart Lee yesterday morning about his Nightingales film that was on a channel called Sky Arts last night. Texts were dispatched. Later in the evening, I bemoaned this by text to a mate, giving him the heads-up in case he were lucky enough to have said channel at his disposal. He told me it was in fact available to us on Freeview, so with just a few minutes to spare the telly was re-tuned to enable this (just when United went 2-0 up so it looked a good moment to abandon that match anyway).
Anyway, the film is highly, highly recommended (especially if you can see it without the ads) and will provoke several moments of reflection for the devoted follower of any band that has determinedly avoided mainstream success.
Plus it features one of the great closing numbers of all time.
7 February 2021
dr Desperate
It was splendid indeed. Anyone who missed ‘King Rocker’ might like to know that Sky Arts are repeating it next Saturday (13.2.21), early hours 1.45 – 3.45am. You may need to retune your TV to make sure you have Sky Arts on Freeview Channel 11.
(In the absence of any capitalised, plural link to the band on this site, I’ll just mention here that when I saw them in Hull in 2015, the merch table was flogging the closest thing I’ve ever seen in real life to JDOGs: Nightingales slippers.)
7 February 2021
CARRIE ANNE
Mr Green was lucky enough to receive a Nightingales branded shoehorn last Christmas.
7 February 2021
EXXO
Hi Karen! A lucky man indeed! And do send our best to Mr. Green! Not too late for HNY all round I reckon
Perhaps Roger will find some highly leveraged means of blatantly inserting news of this gift item into his next gig review … which will hopefully be before next Christmas (though I doubt it). It’s a tough one, but as well as the awkward insertion itself, I’m sure if anyone can do it then Roger find an appropriate metaphor for it.
7 February 2021
GORDON BURNS
King Rocker was everything I’d hoped for, and more.
I’m still hanging on to my Lewes ticket, many times postponed now.
Sky Arts is a great addition to “Council Telly”. Like BBC4, with adverts.
7 February 2021
Brumbiscuit
I have Sky Arts on Freesat, channel 147, but it’s showing a Johnny Cash programme at that time, Dr D…
8 February 2021
Brumbiscuit
Demonstrating that I have recently hit a milestone and my faculties are diminishing, I was looking at 14/2 at 01.45! Pass the Sanatogen…
8 February 2021
lord leominster
FROM THE METRO-LIB-ELITE DESK OF Stewart Lee – March 21
King Rocker – Now TV – It appears you can now watch it, ad-free, on NOW TV if you have that – STREAMING UNTIL 8th MARCH 2021.
https://www.nowtv.com/watch/king-rocker-2020/A5EK4mHuoHzRk73pZuoRf
23 February 2021
dr desperate
I don’t know if support has been lined up yet for Leeds in June ’22, but it might be worth booking these lads from Meanwood now, before they become massive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdJj3soqn-4
15 March 2021
EXXO
The frustrating thing about that would be we’d have to drink shite venue beer for longer.
Instead, I intend to offer live bands that afternoon at another venue where the beer will be splendid. Stand by (for just the next year or so) for further details and book the day off work (or be retired, or summat).
Incidentally, the estate agent would describe my own non-fixed-up gaff as being in Meanwood, but the entertainment will hopefully be in Woodhouse within easy stagger of the UNi venue .
15 March 2021
Brumbiscuit
Just watching King Rocker. Bloody brilliant and my old stomping ground. It’s even got a scene in Wolvo’s Grest Western, scene of a few pre-Robin fuel stops…
18 March 2021
dr desperate
For those who are interested (see post 295 above), R3 has another ‘Sunday Feature: The Kershaw Tapes’ on tonight at 6.45pm, with recordings made by AK47 in Africa and the Americas. Part 2 next Sunday.
2 May 2021
parsfan
A few of you went over to Ireland to see Niall Quinn’s Half Arsed Half Biscuit a couple of years ago so I thought I’d give this a plug here. You might also know him from The Hitchers (Strachan, Killed It With My Bare Hands, Liver etc) and even know which of those wasn’t on the debut album All Fun And Games ’til Someone Loses An Eye. That was only ever released on CD and is long since out of print but now he’s launched a FundIt project to do a limited edition release of it on vinyl for its upcoming 25th anniversary.
I’ve bought plenty of albums on CD where I already have it on vinyl, I think this must be the first time doing it the other way round. I just hope travel from Scotland will be allowed in time for the launch party.
Niall, if you’re there…any chance of HAHB being the support band?
9 May 2021
EXXO
I noticed today that a prominent DPAK avatar was a recent arrival on the ‘Temporary Fandoms’ FB page. I clicked on it and it was none other than Niall (or his HAHB) page. Hadn’t looked at that for a couple of years so watched his lovely wintry solo version of R&R is Full of Bad Wools and dropped him a message. Might join you over in Limerick in 2022 then, Paul!
10 May 2021
IRISH NIALL
Hi to all, thanks to EXXO for the Bad Wools comments (it was a actually balmier May evening than I’ve seen this year if I recall) and thanks to PARSFAN for the plug for the Fun & Games Fund:it. It’s going really well actually. We’re five days into a 4 week campaign (fundits sugggestion -covers the spread of paydays don’t y’know) and it’s 80% funded so fingers crossed it makes it. Vinyl is bloody expensive to produce in these short runs though so if we can get an extra few to sign up we can upscale a bit so we’ve some to spare.
I’m actually not a massive fan of the format myself beyond the physical size of the artwork making sleeve notes easier to read. I squint a bit at these stories of vinyls resurgence I see and think it’s more a function of the nostalgia industry than any indicator of robust health in the recorded music industry. But it’s the only physical format that sells now. CDs are considered worthless -but I find it telling many people still expect a ‘free’ CD with their vinyl.
I certainly feel sorry for any act putting out new stuff as it’s woefully expensive and slow to produce and the chances of actually moving the units are slim.
That’s why we went for the fund:it route. I’m done building coffee tables and hallway roundabouts out of stock that’s likely never going to move. (I heard Terence Trent D’Arby partitioned a through-lounge with his second album). This way we make what we need and no more. Anyway the link is here -https://fundit.ie/project/fun–games-25th-anniversary-re-issue
Thanks to all, stay safe out there. I’ll update on plans for a launch and see if TTB are up for support slot -we can maybe hybridize a HAHB slot into it. Be Christmas at the earliest anyway and more likely again into 2022.
Niall
12 May 2021
EXXO
Hi Niall. We have the wood-burner on in May here too … but I dunno it still seems wintry when you play in front of it! 2022 in Limerick or Dublin then? And the band – any of your bands – will always have free accommodation and a venue in Leeds, anytime.
12 May 2021
dr desperate
For those who are interested (see post 315 above) AK47 has now started doing a podcast called, with typical veracity, ‘Andy Kershaw Plays Some Bloody Great Records’. As with previous ventures, the tagline is “A One-man War On Musical Mediocrity”.
https://andykershaw.co.uk/podcast-1/?fbclid=IwAR0y9SjV5fBEJfqm0u8L9r-lSZ8IhNnfI2AKgHw5x0YgMDAtFLLc6aUAjU4
20 May 2021
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
Sad news that David Edwards of Datblygu has died. A band I admit I knew nothing about until quite recently (when NB namechecked them in that Welsh language interview) but a brilliant one. A troubled and talented soul.
22 June 2021
Pirx The Purist
I’ve done an obit/tribute/overview of David R. if anyone’s interested:
http://www.thejudge.me.uk/Not_blog/Not_blog_20210623.htm#eng
23 June 2021
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
Definitely – thanks for posting that.
23 June 2021
EXXO
Thanks so much Pirx for that touching tribute. I found the tribute tweeted by @ankstmusik very touching too (saw it on NME site). Datblygu probably had a significant influence on HMHB.
Lots of other great stuff on your blog there too, Pirx. But your controversial statement that the title of ‘Malayan Jelutong’ has nothing to do with the rest of the song … I might have to revisit that.
24 June 2021
EXXO
Cerys is on the wireless in the other room. Half heard her gushing about a supreme bard who had skewered Welsh culture – all culture – and shown everyone else how. Assumed it would be Dylan Thomas, who she often features. But it was a tribute to David Edwards, followed by his magnificent track Cân i Gymru
11.56 approx.
4 July 2021
transit full of keith
Cân i Gymru (‘Song for Wales’) is indeed magnificent, and also the Datblygu track that sounds like it influenced HMHB the most, I think … a ‘talky’ track skewering a pretentious ‘type’, delivering brutal and precise observations, but in a polite tone of voice. It feels like there are shades of it in ‘Breaking News’, ‘Corgi Registered Friends’ (not just the mention of Volvos), and ‘Thy Damnation Slumbereth Not’.
5 July 2021
EXXO
Datblygu have just been played on the wireless at 2.40 on a Monday afternoon, admittedly by the other Welsh turn on 6Music, but nevertheless I’d say they’re a cert to break the record for number of days after death of the act when posthumous downloads exceed downloads (or total units) during his lifetime.
5 July 2021
EXXO
@Keith
We should start a list of shared targets: I’ll add TV chefs in a track called ‘Casserol’ (apparently he says something along the lines of “I don’t care what your sexuality is, just tell me what’s in the bloody casserole” and of course Ken Livingstone in whatever song it was I mentioned in the ‘Damnation’ thread, from which Mr. B lifted the precise intonation of those words.
5 July 2021
EXXO
On train to Birkenhead to see Karl”s punk covers band. At least one Biscuit is back gigging after 16-17 months. Roll on October hip hip hooray.
30 July 2021
EXXO
Oh yeah forgot it was November now.
30 July 2021
EXXO
Band-its were on top form despite no chance to play together for 16-17 months. Great to see Postman Tony, Roger and Karen there.
Karl reported that the Kershaw kitchen session on Monday went well and was tight-lipped on its contents. It would be unfair of me to give my interpretation of his response to my interpretation of his tight-lippedness but I’m very excited indeed to hear the session tracks now. Andy had said podcast would be available at end of the week, but it’s not up yet.
31 July 2021
Roger as is roger as was
As mentioned by Nigel/Exxo, it was good to meet folk again, and to get to see an actual live band. In addition to Exxo himself, we met Postman Tony, Karl of course, and also Ben from Skeleton Records where I had purchased a CD of Duck Stab earlier in the day. It wasn’t actually our first post-lockdown show. Karen and I had been to a gig in Wakefield in June, featuring Crake and The Lodger, but that involved sitting at tables and being waited on. This was back to the more conventional pub procedure.
Being a first-timer at The Swinging Arm, I’m guessing that, because they are in a residential area, they are not allowed to have windows open while bands are playing. Hence the heat and the need to head outside during the interval. The Band-Its are for you if you like your old school punk (although not sure that Jimi Hendrix fits into that category).
Check these off…
In A Rut / Eton Rifles / What Do I Get? / Something Better Change / London Calling / Brand New Cadillac / Babylon’s Burning / Jimmy Jimmy / Pump It Up / No More Heroes / Hey Joe.
In the second half they played New Rose / Neat Neat Neat / Jilted John / London Lady / Go Buddy Go / Swords Of A Thousand Men / Sound Of The Suburbs / God Save The Queen / Pretty Vacant / English Civil War / Teenage Kicks / My Perfect Cousin / Hurry Up Harry.
Just one in the encore. My Way. Sidney’s version rather than Frank’s.
Great night out. Hoping the Band-Its make it to our side of the hills some time, but more than happy to travel to another of their home gigs again before too long.
4 August 2021
dr desperate
Nomination for the Most HMHB-Sounding Title Champion, 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC_-YhydSyc
23 August 2021
dr desperate
Narrowly beating the previous track on his new album, ‘This, Whatever It Is, Needs Improvements’.
23 August 2021
HendrIx-tattoo
I heard this song on RadMac yesterday thinking it was The Divine Comedy….
23 August 2021
Hendrix-tattoo
Just off out into town to go and see The Specials….
9 September 2021
EXXO
Brilliant Tony, have a good ‘un I hope the beer’s OK, affordable and accessible.
Yeah Hamish Hawk is very Divine Comedy, really enjoying that song though and loads of his stuff lately. I could listen to his voice all night whereas say Richard Dawson has to be in small doses and I’ve really no patience for the latter’s falsetto.
9 September 2021
dr desperate
Say hello to my sister Lucy, Tony. She’ll be there for her 50th, at front left.
9 September 2021
EXXO
Anyone recognise this chap with his experimental side project?
https://dreamscience.bandcamp.com/track/genoa-2
2 November 2021
EXXO
He’s got a sound-proofed room
https://www.freeindex.co.uk/profile(custard-squad-studios)_201675.htm#VidsAndImages-3
2 November 2021
Hendrix-Tattoo
Off into to town shortly for some birthday drinky-poos and to see The Crapsons….
4 November 2021
EXXo
Happy birthday Tony! Hope you have a good one – you coming to Holmfirth?
4 November 2021
Hendrix-tattoo
Thanks Exxo, Yes I am going to Holmfirth, Can’t bloody wait for it. The Crapsons were very good last night, Playing for the first time as a three piece they told me they will be supporting our boys in Nottingham….
5 November 2021
Hendrix-tattoo
Of into to town later to the Academy for the Academy in the UK.
FT. Buzzkocks,The Ramonas,Bootleg Blondie and the Pistols….
20 November 2021
dr desperate
Looking forward to seeing Yard Act on the opening night of their ‘DIY Class of 2022’ tour at Hull’s glittering Polar Bear Music Club: 7th Jan, the day that their highly anticipated first album ‘The Overload’ is slated for release.
(If you want an HMHB link, the title track includes the following lyric:
“In my day, the gear on the street was so weak
It could eat your ambition in a matter of weeks
Just trying to envision the peak – and that’s bleak”.)
1 December 2021
CARRIE ANNE
Good news for fans of The Hitchers
https://www.limerickpost.ie/2022/01/27/fun-games-25-is-on-the-way-from-the-hitchers/
3 February 2022
Gipton teenager
Failure of one-man-moshpit at We Killed Bambi gig reported.
11 February 2022
dr Desperate
New Crapsons album ‘Songs to Make a Brew To’ comes out this week, including such fine song titles as:
Award Winning Porridge
Ian Brown Is The Resurrection
Jenny Doody Is A Grass
An Instruction To All Van Drivers
Poor Old Prince Philip
Bandcamp Everyday
Front Row Knobhead
15 March 2022
EXXO
I seriously hope ‘Front Row Knobhead’ wasn’t written on the way back from seeing HMHB in Shrewsbury (blushy emoji) and is maybe instead about the ones at the match who shout abuse at corner takers.
15 March 2022
EXXO
BTW @Karen – did you hear Iggy Pop’s extended praise of Mik Artistik the Sunday before last (about 6.05pm maybe?). Was fantastic to hear as it only seems like yesterday that he knocked on my door strapped for cash and asked if anyone wanted a portrait sketched! (but was actually about 3 years ago).
15 March 2022
BOBBY SVARC
Crapsons T-Shirts arrived just in time for Notts
15 March 2022
dr Desperate
I believe The Crapsons will be supporting HMHB at the Rock City Notts next week, their first gig back after dual paternity leave.
15 March 2022
dr Desperate
If anyone has been affected by the title of ‘Ian Brown Is The Resurrection’, they may be reassured to know that the lyrics go (to the tune of “My Old Man’s a Dustman”):
“He’s an anti-vaxxer
He wears a bucket hat
And if you follow his Twitter
He sounds a fuck*ng twat”.
19 March 2022
Carrie AnNE
@Exxo #350. No, but I know he is a fan, and I’ve heard him play a couple of Armley’s finest on previous occasions.
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/people/iggy-pops-song-decade-band-armley-1337072
19 March 2022
Bad loser
I thought The Crapsons sounded quite good at Holmfirth. If that crap is typical of their lyrical standard, I’ll not delve any further into what they’re singing about.
19 March 2022
EXXO
Ooh, ooh, what’s to do?
It’s a Dad review, Dad review …
https://louderthanwar.com/crapsons-songs-to-make-a-brew-to-album-review/
27 March 2022
Lux inferior
The Undertones at Liverpool O2 Academy the other night. Unfortunately, I can’t find a clip with the full intro: https://twitter.com/FletchTrfc/status/1510570345065025537
5 April 2022
Hendrix-tattoo
Off to the Witchwood Ashton-u-Lyne tonight for a U.K Punk double header Buzzkocks v The Clashed.
It ought to be good…
9 July 2022
Dr desperate
Just got back from the unveiling of the splendid Pete Shelley muriel in Leigh, Buzzkocks were playing there. No Clashed though.
10 July 2022
transit full of keith
Who’s Muriel, and why was she veiled?
11 July 2022
dr desperate
It’s what Hilda Ogden used to call one of these. (There was never a veil, so the “unveiling” was more of a metaphorical one.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zX3aWsskfo
11 July 2022
dr desperate
(Self at [4:34], lamp-post growing out of hat.)
11 July 2022
dr desperate
(…in this video, I meant.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSd79gh_krE&t=328s
11 July 2022
Hendrix-tattoo
After a great Band-it’s gig last night in the Oblong.
Now I’m off to Hebden Bridge to see the Lovely Eggs…
6 August 2022
dic aberdaron
absolutely!!
city kids did it for me
and good to catch up with ya HT
7 August 2022
dr desperate
Any Middle-Aged Crowd Surfing at Hebden Bridge, @H-T?
None that I could see at Blackpool the night before (though it might have been going on behind me).
7 August 2022
Hendrix-tattoo
Holly did try to get people to crowdsurf and warned that it could be dangerous, So no one bothered. I’ve seen them three times now and I must admit this was the best of the three.
Got the train home later with Thick Richard who supported them again and he was telling me that his Aunty Joan insisted on pronouncing the word scone as “scone” he now calls her Aunty John…
7 August 2022
EXXO
On of those bands that I’d really enjoy at a raucous, riotous gig, but maybe only at a raucous riotous gig. That is a top, top weekend schedule Tony.
Pendantry dick-tates that I have to say Band-its on the Oblong though. Spring hasn’t sprung up in this Oblong of Dreams.
7 August 2022
Hendrix-tattoo
It was “Where’s Captain Kirk”? for me dic. It was great talking to you also…
7 August 2022
EXXO
Let me know by the way Tony if you’re ever going to a gig at The Trades that isn’t sold out and I’ll meet you there.
Looking at booking the Band-its for my 60th in Leeds next year by the way Tony and they might not be the only punk covers on the bill. Hope you’ll come over.
7 August 2022
Hendrix-tattoo
Yeah!
I will do Exxo…
7 August 2022
warden Hodges
And a pint or 3 at Ma Egertons too, good choice Tony.
Not one for caves myself so it’s Blackpool next up for me. Pre-gig will prob be the Spoons on the front.
7 August 2022
Hendrix-tattoo
Off into to town shortly to the Rebellion to celebrate Moz Murray’s 60th birthday. Eddie Mooney and the Grave, Buzzkocks, Mick Rossi and friends and Slaughter and the Dogs…
14 August 2022
EXXO
@Karen and Roger
Wharf Chambers – Sunday 11 December – afternoon gig:
*Zoundz
*Eastfield
*Indignation Meeting
£10
25 August 2022
CARRIE aNNE
@Exxo Thanks, yes, we picked up tickets from Jumbo a couple of weeks ago. Should be a good afternoon.
25 August 2022
Parsfan
The Hitchers are playing in Limerick tomorrow. Anyone else from here going? Niall presumably, anyone else?
I was hoping we’d get HAHB as support but no signs of that happening.
27 October 2022
dr desperate
Triple reference in this bandcamp ad for the recently-released solo album by that Scott off The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican.
https://thebarstewardsons.bandcamp.com/album/your-evening-of-folk-has-been-cancelled-2022
28 October 2022
Parsfan
Just us then, though there was at least one other who crossed the Irish Sea.
What a night! Much rarer than a Biscuits gig but every bit as good. There was to be no Half Arsed Half Biscuit but we did get Niall doing a rendition of When I Look At My Baby.
30 October 2022
IRISH NIALL
Thanks Parsfan. It was great to meet you guys and we may yet reconvene in Camden and possibly Edinburgh too.
I was happy enough with the gig. I think we played okay considering the short run up we had.
We’d hoped to record it for posterity but had zero luck.
First I never never gave Liam (soundman) a USB for desk audio. Then, of 4 (FOUR!) video cameras we’d with us one wouldn’t start (which is fine -that’s why you bring four), another stopping recording before the show started and a third fell over face down before switching off minutes into the set. The main one, next to Liam at the desk had, for the first time in a decade using it, its microphone disconnected leaving us with a 2hr broadcast quality silent movie. I suppose I could speed it up and put a old style movie-house piano behind it. Absolute sickener.
Anyway we rescued a few songs from early on combining the silent movie with audio off the one that fell over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0bTWc0ylYQ&t=401s
And someone got the encore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FprKyjXvgD4
Thanks again for travelling over.
4 November 2022
Hendrix-tattoo
I will be shortly heading into town to see the Bug Club at the YES on Charles street…
10 November 2022
dr desperate
Excellent! You don’t see many curly guitar leads these days.
10 November 2022
parsfan
I will be shortly heading into town to see The Nightingales at The Caves on Niddry street…
10 November 2022
Hendrix-tattoo
Tonight I’ll be at the Academy in the U.K on the bill are Buzzkocks, The Ramonas, Bootleg Blondie and the Pistols…
19 November 2022
Irish Niall
Hi to all, I almost invariably end up posting in this category when there’s likely more appropriate.
Popping a head round the digital door to say Happy Christmas to aone and all and hopefully see some of you in Camden.
I got a bunch of drunk Limerick people to sing It’s Clichéd To Be Cynical At Christmas the other night and there was a camera rolling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpIpEzn_h9A
Happy Christmas once again and take care.
Niall
24 December 2022
dr desperate
(Asking for a friend)
Exxo posted not long ago about a Band-Its gig in Leeds in June – I couldn’t make it as I’ll be grandson-sitting that week, but a Biscuit buddy was interested and now neither of us can find the post. There’s no mention of gigs that far ahead on the band’s FB page.
Please could you re-post, @Exxo?
29 January 2023
EXXO
Thanks for the interest John. It’s my 60th birthday gig so Karl won’t be advertising it, and I haven’t got round to advertising it yet, but it will be more like a gig than a private party – there will be some sort of fund-raising angle for something worthwhile – and yes all are welcome. June 16th Venue TBA shortly.
29 January 2023
gipton teenager
Not been here for yonks (life gets in the way, sometimes). 60th birthday Exxo? Can I play out with you?
8 March 2023
Irish Niall
Hi to all, just placing on record that another exhibition, nay let’s be pretentious and call it a live performance curation, of the songs of Half Man Half Biscuit took place in Ireland last night. Though by no means a full Half Arsed Half Biscuit gig those in attendance at a gig marking the 50th anniversary of my fortuitous birth got to hear the following dozen HMHB songs -a bakers dozen actually as He Who Would Valium Take got tacked on while the indefatigable Carolyn (our Karl Benson) sorted her dying/dead/replaced amplifier issue.
HMHB Set:
Light At The End of the Tunnel
Dukla Prague Away Kit
When I Look at My Baby
RockNRoll is Full of Bad Wools
Vatican Broadside
24hr Garage People
Paintball’s Coming Home
(He Who Would Valium Take)
We Built This Village On a Trad Arr Tune
Everything’s AOR
Joy Division Oven Gloves
Irk The Purists
Trumpton Riots
It was as ever an honour and a pleasure to play these wonderful songs to an audience who lapped them up. Niall
12 March 2023
dr desperate
Excellent setlist, typed out I hope. Just for a split-second between lines there I thought you were going to say you’d played Deano’s ‘A Baker’s Tale’.
Looking forward to seeing some clippage.
12 March 2023
Hendrix-tattoo
Off to see Michael Buble at the AO Arena tonight…
21 April 2023
Hendrix-tattoo
And tomorrow night…
21 April 2023
Lux inferior
Don’t know much Bublé – has he sung any songs in a hip-hop stylee?
If so, you can shout out “Give us Bublé rap”.
Apologies.
21 April 2023
Hendrix-tattoo
Off into town to see Jd Meatyard tonight…
3 May 2023
Dr desperate
“Enjoy”. We’re in Lincoln for Dr John Cooper Clarke.
3 May 2023
EXXO
Right, finally got this sorted. Some of us will be 60 this spring/summer, and 1963 was of course ‘Peak Nigel’ so this includes some very fine Nigels indeed.
Some of you know the Fenton. The best pub to drink before a Leeds Uni gig, with a range of fine ales, and one of my locals. Some of you know the Band-Its, Karl Benson’s brilliant punk covers band
They are playing a gig for me upstairs at the Fenton on Friday 16th June for my 60th, which is actually 18 days before that, but I’ve got other sporty celebrations, trips and festivals on around then too, and by the time things fell into place the band didn’t have much availability (because they are indisputably the best pub band ever, and therefore very popular). Booked the band 4 months ago, then got gazumped from my original venue, and for various reasons didn’t have the Fenton confirmed till now. so slight apologies for just 5 weeks notice!
Anyway all who know me are most heartily invited. They may or may not do two sets and take requests. That’s TBA (but I think they might). If I name names I may offend by missing someone out but I will anyway so John (I know you’ve already said you can’t, but you’re invited anyway), Tony, Tony, Lou, Roger and Karen are the first that spring to mind as not being prohibitively far away, obviously Paul would be top of the list too if he wasn’t a busy family man from north of the firths, and Keith if it wasn’t ridiculously far to travel from Cambers for a covers band, but all Biscuiteers that know me are welcome and anyone who doesn’t mind a bit of a studenty vibe and slight lack of decor in some rooms of a sixty year old’s neglected old house will have a place to crash.
John could you mention this to Karen on FB? Though I think I may have her on an email from around the time of that last L’pool gig …
10 May 2023
Hendrix-tattoo
That ought to be good…😊
10 May 2023
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
Cheers for the invite! Leeds indeed might be a tad far to get to on a Friday night… Then again, combining with a Saturday trip to Almscliff is very tempting. (That’s a crag, not an obscure football ground).
10 May 2023
D list paul ross
Being semi-local I googled Almscliffe and now I know it was in Blake’s Seven I’ll have a look next time I’m passing. I’m going to a Battle of the Bands tonight where the ultimate prize is an appearance at Bingley Weekender. I do hope they remember to thank all the judges for taking the time.
11 May 2023
D list paul ross
Sparing. Bugger.
11 May 2023
Phyllis Triggs
That sounds great, Exxo. Looking forward to it. Cheers.
11 May 2023
Hendrix-tattoo
Off into Ashton-u-Lyne to the Witchwood to see Buzzkocks and Combat Clash…
13 May 2023
Brumbiscuit
Just back from Birmingham’s Symphony Hall to see the CBSO performing an assortment of movie music. Very good, as it happens, especially the Great Escape.
13 May 2023
EXXO
Great news @Tony and @Lou that you hope to make it on the 16th.
@Keith – would be great to see you there. I delayed replying because I was sure that one of the 600+ routes at Almscliffe would have some interesting Biscuity angle upon which I could play in a comment. I am downcast and somewhat cragfast not to have found one. You could find a new route on the Matterhorn rock and call it the Matalan. Or open up a new route through the lifeless, deathless bracken back to the car park and call it Voyage to the Bottom of the Road.
15 May 2023
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
There’s a Fisher’s Traverse(Hard Severe). Its gravelly/shaley qualities are not recorded, though.
15 May 2023
TRANSIT FULL OF keith
The upper tier of the Roaches is the biscuitiest crag I know of, with routes called ‘99% of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd’ and ‘Attempted Moustache’. I also love that a printers guidebook error led to one route there being named for all posterity “Reset Portion of Galley 37”.
16 May 2023
Phyllis Triggs
Anyone else in the Bearded Theory / Biscuits Venn Diagram this weekend?
25 May 2023
dr DEsperate
Not me, I’m afraid. Enjoy the Eggs, Pigs and Beans, @phyllis.
25 May 2023
dr DEsperate
(As opposed to Eggs, Beans and Crumpets.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggs,_Beans_and_Crumpets
25 May 2023
gipton teenager
Blimey! What have I been doing (and where have I been doing it) for the last month? I will be honoured to be present at your celebration Exxo. Anyone fancy a swift one pre-gig? The Town Hall Hotel has a 7-wicket array of the finest Timothy Taylor has to offer.
9 June 2023
EXXO
That’s great news you’ll be there on Friday Tony. I’m trying to tempt Dave Curry out (increasingly rare these days) but Stu Gibbo will be around and I’ll mention your Tim-Beer Taylor idea. I’ll doubtless be faffing around at the Fenton pre-gig. Support 8pm. Band-its 9pm.
https://forms.gle/a64EhKpK7zKC2UuN6
10 June 2023
dr DEsperate
Apologies for not being able to attend your sixtifications, @Exxo – we’re booked in to play Poohsticks in the Cotswolds with the grandsons next week while my daughter and her husband are celebrating their fifth anniversary in Croatia.
(My ex-wife and I went to Dubrovnik for our first. Our twenty-first – Split.)
Have a grand time!
10 June 2023
Phyllis Triggs
This is looking great, Exxo! Glad to hear Gipton Teenager’s coming along. Tony, if I’m there early enough, hopefully catch up with you in the Townhall Tavern.
10 June 2023
EXXO
Excellent – looking forward to seeing you on Friday Lou in an actual genuine sponsored moshpit. No setlist prediction competition though 😉
H-T you coming over?
10 June 2023
gipton teenager
Hmm, best pub band EVER ? that’s a mighty big claim. My expectations are boundless. Can’t wait. From 7 PM in the Town Hall Hotel (buses permitting). Be nice to meet up again Lou.
10 June 2023
Phyllis Triggs
Yeah, c’mon H-T! Or are you still wearing fishnets and suspenders as penance after that City win?
10 June 2023
EXXO
Tony: they are so good that they can’t put stuff on YouTube cos it sounds identical (to Pistols, Jam, Buzzcocks, Clash etc). Plenty on B but I know you don’t do socials. They are 50 times tighter than my mate’s band we saw at The Grove that time
how many better Motorhead covers you seen than this? Not punk but only thing I can find on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m183ctKJ24
None!
10 June 2023
EXXO
Plenty on FB that was – dodgy keyboard soz
10 June 2023
Bad loser
It really is criminal of me not to have been to see Karl’s other bands, especially as it’s only about 3 miles away. It’s probably because if my wife’s been working she wants to get in and stay in.
Will talk my mate into going as he tries to get me to watch an all female punk band who aren’t in the same league.
11 June 2023
gipton teenager
Nigel – I’ve been in touch with Stu and we’re both on for the Town Hall Hotel from 7 (ish). Lou too, perhaps.(Anyone else?)
12 June 2023
EXXO
Sounds good Mr Fry-up. But please try to be at the Fenton or the wonderful Emma at 8pm if u can.
(You may be thinking “Exxo you usually swerve support bands yourself!” but that’s ‘cos of crap venue ale and this is the opposite situation – I’ve often been imbibing the Fenton’s wares rather than watching supports at the Uni )
T’other Anthony sent me a message he’ll be there at the back next to Antony Fry-up. Hoorah!
12 June 2023
EXXO
Sorry it’s so tedious on this keyboard to correct every missing letter – but “for the wonderful Emma” obviously.
12 June 2023
gipton teenager
8 PM at the Fenton. I’ll be there. I swear it on this stack of Bubbles (I’m doing the washing-up)
13 June 2023
dr DEsperate
Anyone fancying a pre-gig gorgonzola sandwich tomorrow might consider bending ’em like Beckett at the Heart Centre in Headingley, who are holding their annual Bloomsday celebration at 2pm. Readings, discussion, a song or two and much, much more.
15 June 2023
EXXO
As I’ll be busy I might have to find a way to celebrate episode 15 tonight.
15 June 2023
gipton teenager
@H-TAT – I’m really sorry Tony.
17 June 2023
Phyllis Triggs
Thanks for putting that together Exxo, it was a great night. The Band-Its sent the stomp-ometer off the scale. I’d like to say they raised the roof but that would be wishful thinking – the ceiling stayed stubbornly in place, dripping with sweat – phew, wot a scorcha! Support Emma Mckee was great too – rebel folk at its grassroots best. Those old songs – 80/100 years old – are as relevant today as they ever were, the call to arms just as vital.
Good to catch up with you and Claire, Tony and Tony, and to meet Stu and Ben. Hope the enforced early finish didn’t put too much of a downer on your evening. I’m not sure what happened there but am inclined to view it as the gig falling victim to its own success😄
To anyone who doesn’t know guitarist Karl Benson’s ‘other band’ the The Band-Its Believe the hype! They are indeed the best punk covers band ever, EVER!! Well worth a trip to Birkenhead to see them play.
18 June 2023
EXXO
Thanks Lou (sorry I didn’t see your post last night – though I was posting another comment simultaneously). So glad you enjoyed it, and so sorry I didn’t have a chance to chat afterwards in the beer garden, which I was looking forward to doing after the band had packed up and headed home to the Oblong.
I really like that way of putting it – “a victim of its own success.” Yes! I’m going to view it that way, and also I’m also seeing it is as me acting the scapegoat so that the gig could end well – I myself intentionally became the focus of the confrontational attitude/bullying from management and security so that the gig could end with dignity at 11.20pm, and so that nobody else had to leave the pub before 1am if they didn’t want to.
The Band-Its were utterly outstanding, really enjoyed themselves and perfect for that crowd… and I’m v. glad you appreciated Emma’s stuff so much, Lou. Will pass on that feedback.
£420 raised for our causes by the way. Thanks to all who chucked in!
“2-4-6-8 defibrillate!”
19 June 2023
Bad loser
Forwarded the Motörhead cover to my mate feeling sure it would tempt him to a night out at The Swinging Arm, Birkenhead. For 12 years I worked about 200 yards away and had never spotted the pub. It looks like it hasn’t seen a lick of paint for 30 years but never judge a book by its cover.
It’s a great pub: cash only, sensible prices, and a good crowd. Karl spotted my ‘Trumpton Riots’ t-shirt. ‘That’s not official merch’ he said ‘but I like it’. I assured him I have plenty of offical ones and will wear one next time. They really are good and it’s good to see him showing his personality rather than being a fairly quiet member of HMHB. During their second set, we spotted Nigel at the back of the pub. He was chatting to someone throughout so didn’t have the chance to offer to buy him a pint of Badger’s Entirely Blameless, or similar.
Will definitely return to see them there in the coming months. Before then, his other band are there next week so will be there for that one.
19 June 2023
Phyllis TRiggs
Ah, so that’s what happened. Well, thanks for your sacrifice, Exxo. Glad the band enjoyed themselves too – they certainly looked like they were having fun.
19 June 2023
gipton teenager
Well Exxo, seems like you weren’t exaggerating at all. The Band-Its were almost as loud as they were wonderful. Took me right back to 1980. Nice to meet up with t’other Tone and Lou. Full marks and a gold star Nigel.
20 June 2023
Borough surveyor
Dave Grohl. Pops up (like hives) everywhere these days, but not yet at a Biscuits gig. Thoughts?
25 June 2023
EXXO
So you’re basically pointing out that you never see Dave Grohl and Carl Henry in the same room?
26 June 2023
Borough surveyor
@Exxo Love Grohl in small quantities. Screaming out for a Nigel “spotted in the audience” remark, or is that too obvious.
Off topic, but where/how is Ken?
26 June 2023
dr DEsperate
On a slightly more biscuit-related topic, I’m still hoping that Fi Glover one day gets the chance to marry Dave Grohl.
27 June 2023
Irish Niall
Hi folks, some of you on here know me as I Can’t Believe It’s Not Nigel from Half Arsed Half Biscuit and some of that rank know I’m also probably much better at being the drummer with The Hitchers -and a smaller number again know we’re supporting Half Man Half Biscuit in Wolverhampton on October 6th. http://www.thehitchers.ie
As we’re long out of touch with the live music scene in the UK I wanted to consult the hive mind to see if you could help us busy ourselves or even just myself the night before. Looking to to a gig of any type or duration anywhere that’ll have me/us. Support slots, whatever. One man show preferable as we’ll be a man short that evening. But can work it out. Thursday is a college night so maybe there’s a few possibilities.
We roll off in Holyhead at around 4pm on Thursday 5th and I’m looking to contact anyone running gigs within say 2 hours drive (allow for load in/soundchecks etc). So looking at maybe Chester, Wrexham, Liverpool area, Crewe, Stoke even. If anyone has any tips or suggestions -chuck em in or email thehitchersATgmailDOTcom.
Meanwhile we’re hopeful of playing Leeds on the Saturday night. There was some talk on another thread of it that we need to flesh out a bit.
Anyway thanks and looking forward to seeing ye in October.
Niall
16 August 2023
EXXO
Hi Niall. I will email you tomorrow about the Saturday Leeds gig. We have a definite venue as back-up. But I want a different venue. In fact I want to hold two venues, just for the next few days, in case the Leeds v. Bristol City match kick-off time gets significantly changed, which it still could be. I will explain in an email tomorrow.
16 August 2023
EXXO
Because none of us can reliably recall ever having heard ‘Arthur’s farm’ played live.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww_t2e8qVMM
I am proud to announce that the marvellous Indignation Meeting will be supporting The (Mighty) Hitchers at SingingDrummersFest in Leeds on October 7th.
In a couple of days I will even confirm the venue! 🙂
4 September 2023
parsfan
I hope we’re not going to be seeing Phil Collins there.
5 September 2023
EXXO
Well if he can feel it coming in the Aire that night he might see it as a premonition of us chucking him in the local river, so hopefully he’ll stay away.
5 September 2023
No chi(m)ps allowed
He’s in Tuckers Drain. Oops!
5 September 2023
POP-TART MARK
No life jacket required.
5 September 2023
EXXO
As you know, The Hitchers come over from Ireland to support HMHB in Wolverhampton on 6th October.
The next night they play a full set here in Leeds, supported by fellow HMHB fans Indignation Meeting
Just £7.50 in advance. Small venue so grab them while you can. Free A3 colour poster included.
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/holbeck-moor-fc/t-pqyanaj
9 September 2023
parsfan
Ticket bought.
9 September 2023
dr DEsperate
I’m in.
9 September 2023
Exxo
Thanks gents. You are the first customers in my career as Leeds’ new John Keenan.
Nathan@Brudenell must be quaking in his boots.
9 September 2023
dr DEsperate
Bearing in mind that Leeds City Centre is currently a no-go area for those of a motoring persuasion. I was to The Brudenell last night and found some roads on the way in that I’d never seen before.
9 September 2023
EXXO
As you know, Niall’s brilliant band The Hitchers are supporting HMHB in Wolverhampton on 6th October, and here’s another plug for their gig in Leeds on the 7th.
Come and meet up with at least 6 of us from the Lyrics Project (Niall, me, Dr D, Parsfan, Roger Green & Carrie Anne), especially if you can’t be in Wolverhampton on the 6th for any reason.
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/leeds/the-pack-horse/hitchers-live-at-leeds/e-ebrdlb
21 September 2023