Yes, we’re back from the (deep breath) New York Summer Antifolk Festival 2007!!- and aside from jet lag and a mild sense of anticlimax, it was pretty damn good.
So what were we doing? At the behest of Lach, the originator of the Antifolk anti-genre and the organiser of the festival, we went to play two sets at The Fort, the Antifolk HQ situated in the back of the Sidewalk Café in the Lower East Side.
The Fort is a small, intimate venue, with an in-house upright piano and a PA/desk that all actually work! (UK venues, take note…). If you know Canterbury, it’s probably best described as being how Orange Street ought to be (and probably thinks it is!), but really isn’t…
On Monday (20th August) we did a two-song primer set at the Antihoot open mic and on Wednesday (22nd August) a 25-minute set that was recorded for posterity (downloads available soon!). Only me and Leo could afford to make the trip, so we chose to make it a stripped-down guitar and piano affair (knowing that the venue has a piano, this made logistics a little easier!). The set was: Dance of the Midwich Cuckoos (unfortunately beset by tuning woe- humidity and new strings!), It’s A Small Town, Barking Up the Wrong Tree, Cocoon and Moment of Clarity.
In addition to this we enountered a number of interesting antifolkers including Somer (pronounced ‘summer’) and Cheese on Bread (though the latter sadly via CD than in person). We survived jet lag, humidity, rain, card stoppages (******** to Barclays!), confusion with bizarre local custom/plumbing and had a generally ace time (Two gigs! Feeling queasy up the Rockerfeller Centre! A Thai Meal for six quid! Jackson Pollocks and Cezannes in the flesh! Etc!).
So that was our first US, er, ‘tour’. What next? Europe! Asia! The World! Any questions?
UCCA/KIAD Bar, Canterbury, 23rd May 2007:
KIAD- always a tricky place to play, somewhat remote, strangely hard to promote (I should write a song…). Back from ATP, I was raring to go and, as so often happens at relaxed and sparsely attended gigs, we played really well, but that’s not why I am writing this blog. Last night, I experienced a watershed….
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The Cherry Tree, Canterbury, 8th May 2007
Our second band gig in a week after nothing since February- hopefully our drought is over! The Cherry Tree, reputedly established in 1372, is a funny old place- it’s two tiny rooms resembling a dodgy Greek restaurant c. 1978 not making it the most obvious choice for a music venue, but it works- and a lot better than certain other self-proclaimed ‘music clubs’ around here.
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Christchurch Student Union, Canterbury, 17th February 2007
The Saturday session, featuring us plus solo acts, DJs, and dancers.
A problematic one this; it took me right back to the mid-90s for all the wrong reasons!
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Indoors this year due to a combination of DFL neighbours and a lack of a suitably bowel-moving outdoor PA. This was the first time we’d done the RNLI bash since 2003, although we’d only actually missed one (it had a Glastonbury-style fallow year in 2005). I only realised when I heard the other bands that currently we only have one cover in our set, but either we were so marvellous, or the audience were so shit-faced, that most people seemed to like us regardless of any unfamiliarity (or maybe we’ve just played half our set to death! You decide!). The day was commenced by Ben’s Alter Ego (the Terry Reid-esque Ben is about to appear on “The X Factor” we are told, the masochist!), followed by Paul The Other One (with a stand-in drummer who’d reportedly once toured with Take That!!? Whoever he was, he was bloody good!), then somebody I completely missed due to being enticed away by the promise of roast lamb, The Coughlan Taches (minus Chunter and with me sitting in on bass for half the set doing “Living in a Sitcom” et al — back to the halcyon days of 2003!), a classy covers act from Ireland (I think — didn’t get their name) and finally, us, to finish off the evening in more ways than one…
I find that an audience that consists of people who’ve either been drinking all day or are stuffed full of prescription drugs (or both) usually seems to appreciate us and today was no exception. We did have one monkey-man to contend with, but he was easily seen off, and the glamorous grannies didn’t like it, but we’d be doing something wrong if they did! Thanks to Ian “Coughlan Taches” Lander for doing the sound and to Matt Smith/Paul the Other One for providing the PA.
Set list:
- Dance of the Midwich Cuckoos
- ES-40
- Knickers in the Photocopier
- Cocoon
- Barking Up The Wrong Tree
- Overdraft Blues
- The Medway Crab Fisherman
- The New Victor (Dick Dale)
- It’s A Small Town
- What’s Under The Stairs?
- A Moment of Clarity
Last minute planning sometimes pays off! This event was splendidly arranged by Polly Reid and Matt De Pulford, with a little assistance from Luke Smith (who found the venue). I was slightly disappointed to learn it was a deconsecrated synagogue (even less chance of running into Rabbi Lionel Blue, but no risk of incurring the wrath of Mossad, I suppose), but this tiny, secluded, and decidedly intimate venue turned out to be ideal for a night a little different from the norm. Volume was severely restricted so we dispensed with drums, Leo switching to piano. Also, realising that my guitar sound would be less than ROCK, I used more FX than usual. (In hindsight I would have been better off using a solid state amp; using a valve amp at this volume, my guitar sound was a little of the rubber-bands and cigar box variety). So, no kicking out the jams, just giving them a gentle push…
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Anytime, Anyplace Anywhere!!! I’ve had some strange gigs, or so I thought…
At ultra-short notice (good thing we’re organised!) we were requested to play in the window (yes, the window, normally reserved for static displays about 25 foot long but no more than about 18″ wide!) of the Horsebridge Centre as part of the 2nd Whitstable Biennale (Convoluted arty goings-on including John Hegley!).
As well serenading confused shoppers we were there to ’surprise’ (or frighten) a group on a guided tour of the various displays and installations etc in the festival. So we did! So thanks to Polly Read for probably easiest gig we’ve ever done (and for the ale), if one of the strangest (not to mention warmest!). And I thought the Smack had a small stage…
UCCA Bar, Canterbury, 21st March 2006
This looks likely to be our last gig with soon-to-emigrate drum-maestro Luke Willis. It was also our first with multi-instrumental drum/bass/keyboard wizard Leo Cookman, tonight appearing on bass with Pretty Bones (Das Zumas being unavailable) and on keyboards with us. This is the third time I’ve played KIAD (now UCCA). The cavernous acoustics make everything sound like it is coming from the bottom of an underground reservoir, and the students are even more apathetic than even I’d realised. This was a gig arranged through a third party (always risky, admittedly) and supposedly to raise funds for some unspecified student activity or other. However, none of the potential beneficiaries of any proceeds turned up, so no money was taken and therefore none raised! Beats the shit out of me…
Still, we had a reasonable crowd and a dedicated hardcore even stayed until the end, and bought a couple of CDs (always welcome). Despite one or two technical problems, I particularly enjoyed the addition of keyboards as it made the sound a lot more akin to Rumble (from which most of tonight’s material was drawn). The keyboard replicated a lot of the second-guitar parts that even super-human me can’t reproduce live on my own (not with singing and trying not to fall over and everything). Phil sat in with his sparkly blue Jazz Bass and Luke played with fearsome gusto. Sadly this time there are no photos or recordings (always the way). The gig ended, as has become traditional, with some guitar (and now keyboard) frottage and, for the first time, Luke demolishing the drums. Someone else’s drums. Not big or clever, but the £27 in repairs was worth every penny, he tells me…
Set list:
- High Noon (DJ Shadow)
- ES-40 (Williams)
- The Medway Crab Fisherman (Williams)
- Force Of Nature (Williams)
- Last Train (Williams)
- What’s Under The Stairs? (Williams)
- Cocoon (Williams)
- Put Your Weight On Me (Williams)
- It’s A Small Town (Williams)
- Bass VI (Williams)
Lost Sunday Club, Brixton Windmill, London, 5th February 2006
Our second appearance at the Windmill, this time as guests of the lovely Lost Sunday, who have split up as a band but are running a monthly band night. We somehow managed to arrive 3 minutes early and even got a soundcheck. We delivered a “touch of the short sharp shock” with our 25 minute set, and then relaxed and enjoyed impressive sets from Dakar Rally, Cardboard Radio and The Needles.
Set list:
- Dance Of The Midwich Cuckoos
- Force Of Nature
- Moment Of Clarity
- Cocoon
- It’s A Small Town
- What’s Under The Stairs?
- Buried Alive