If you see Sid...

The final gig of the year then - and a return to Sidmouth Football Club! Playing Sidmouth at Home is a daunting task for many but not us, having triumphed before we had previous form to build on. Unfortunately for us, we had gear trouble - Bernie's amp was still at the menders (despite having spent two weeks staring at it in a skunk fug and listening to Yes albums for inspiration, the engineer was strangely still no closer to a diagnosis - we think he should actually take that back off and look closer, but hey - he's the professional...). On top of that, a late sound check revealed a dead PA speaker. Arse!



We drew strength by harking back to triumphs from our pre-piles-'o-gear past, and cracked on regardless. A little adversity put fire in our bellies and we played a brilliant set, to a crowd who always really seem to enjoy what we do - and for the first time actually knew the Queen song!

A man of the cloth arrived to give his blessing to proceedings, and the broken PA speaker burst into life! Hurrah! Our own little Christmas Miracle! After that there was no stopping us, Bernie donned the backdrop like a Jedi cape for the closing numbers and we propelled Sidmouth into the Christmas Season on a tidal wave of testosterone and Pub Rock Art hokey mysticism(c).

Thank you Sidmouth, we'll be back to shake up the folk festival! See you in Winkleigh in 2012!

Love you byeeeee!
X

Bee Gee Boogie!

We love the Bowling Green - they've backed us from the start, and they get what we do. But we were up against it this time. We play other people's songs the way we think they always should have sounded. Unfortunately for us, there was not only a Queen Tribute act on in town, but a Fleetwood Mac one too, and the mighty Diamond Dogz were on down the road too - all of whom play other people's songs exactly like they always did sound! So our audience was torn asunder with even Advent Calendar Girl and wardrobe mistress Cathy curiously absent.



But we prevailed nonetheless. We played our little hearts out for the slightly reduced but still wonderful Bowling Green crowd. And yes, it's ok - the Best Looking Bar Staff in Exeter (c) were all present and correct. We ended up firing through a three hour set which still had a bunch of stuff left over, mainly because Bernies new pastime of 'Playing Songs Only I Know Until Everyone Joins In' left better rehearsed material on the shelf. R n f'n R! It all sounded damn good to us and felt even better. Like cashmere pants.

We love what we do!

Serendipity can be a fickle bitch though, as you may know - but having the aforementioned tribute acts playing elsewhere meant the debut of songs by Queen and Fleetwood Mac in our set might have had a less knowing reception than we might have hoped for on their first outing - but they will be hanging around in the set for a while, so hey!

By the time the second set started, the place was filling up nicely. The christmas single went down a storm, and we think there may even be some keen new recruits to the Tone Army. The outbreak of loopy dancing reassured us that all was well, and the inevitable buggering over the monitors confirmed it.

Happy Days all round then - one more this year, and then to 2012 and beyond! See you in Sidmouth!

Love You Byeee!

X


- posted from a wireless telegraph

Fame at last...

Stone the crows, we don't just appear in the Stovepipe after all! Buy the Express and Echo, come see us in the Bowling Green, then download the single. Sound advice from the finest Modwardian combo in the Exe Valley....

A nudge is as good as a wink...

There's not a lot we can say about last Saturday's gig...  It involved a highly secretive organisation who don't like to have their inner workings splattered all over the interweb.  It had nothing to do with L Ron Hubbard, and the CIA were nowhere to be seen (are they ever though? just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not after you).  We had to work hard to keep the crowd entertained, or risk having our asses bumped back to Guantanamo after a series of inexplicably linked events.  But you know us, we work hard every time.  We even managed to surprise ourselves by throwing a new one in there.

So, the booking was a big secret, we certainly can't tell you what it was and we probably shouldn't even reveal the venue.

So, instead, here's a picture of Bernie, Harry and Mark outside the Langstone Cliff Hotel on the night of last Saturday's Mason's Ladies Ball (Masonettes, anyone?).  Totally unconnected.  We just happened to be passing and liked the tree.

Next stop, the comparative normality of the Bowling Green.  Anybody fancy a bit of Queen?

Love you lot! Byeeeee!