HEYWAITAMINUTE

Today is a good day for finds. I found converse trainers for only 28 yoyos a pop. 2 pairs of nice new shoes later (1 pair white high tops, 1 pair black not high tops) im at home on the internets and look what i found:

THIS! (Clue: We Are Scientists)

i'm halfway through "Inaction", from 2003. i keep going back to..well, all of it. but especially

Bomb Inside the Bomb which is a track from Safety Fun and Learning (in that order), 2002.

and

Secret Handshake and Selective Memory

[cliquez the links pour ecouter aux chansons!]

dudes. I had no idea this band has been around for the past few years. I thought they just exploded out of nowhere.

KABLAM!..plop = We Are Scientists.

But, no. Hurrah!

But Who am I Fooling, I Like Airline Food

I just loved the latest email update from the Strokes. It was quite fabulous. I dunno, its like getting the news from home. There's mispellings, nicknames and warm sentiments.

So, First Impressions of Earth will be released in Germany (..& Austria & Switzerland) first, swit swoo. (is the title alluding to like, the meteoric rise of the band from the success of their last two albums and now like, they've crash landed back on the "workd", with this new album to show for the experience. ??? !!! ("meteoric rise" surely must be the most cliched music review phrase, EVER, probly.)

Though, I'm not yet sure if i'm buying this one. I was taken aback to learn that the Juicebox single is their first no.1 ever -- for some reason I thought surely they would have had one before now. Ryan wrote:

"THANK YOU to all the fans in the U.S. who have given us our FIRST #1 in... well.... basically anything!"

So their first chart topper is from this strange and unfamiliar sounding troisième sortie..not even Last Night? Dudes. Maybe theyve had European no.1's? I dunno. My very first memory of them is from a few years back. There's not much to it, and it sort of correllates slightly to how im feeling about First Impressions of Earth (though i started liking Juicebox after seeing it liiiive.) So, this one day I came home from school & flipped on MTV. There was a sepia toned video for some song at which i grimaced, switched off the television, turned on my heel and stomped out of the room. Modern Age! Wow. I cant remember how long it was after that that I became a fan. I'm guessing that Last Night got me. Got me good.

I like this paragraph from Wikipedia:

The Modern Age (EP) was released in 2001 and sparked a bidding war among record labels, the largest for a rock and roll band in years. Subsequently, The Strokes became the subject of enormous hype, causing a great divide amongst rock fans, albeit mostly hipsters and independent magazines, as to whether they were the saviors of rock and roll or simply a bunch of rich kids, with cool names, ripping off the Velvet Underground.

I've lost my Room on Fire CD...sometime / somewhere when i was moving house one of those eleventy gajillion times in the last few months -- Portstewart to Portrush; Portrush to Dublin; Dublin to Limerick; Limerick to Sligo; Sligo to Dublin; Dublin to Berlin...which is total pants because I love listening to the music of a band whose gig I've just been to. I was dying to put it on and relive their show at Maria. But, no. It's wierd, I lost the album cover when I moved home from France in '04...now I have nothing.

I have been thinking that I have had a pretty fucking great year. I wish I was one of those people who could keep track of ticket stubs, concert photographs and other mementos. I have such a jumble of music memories, it's a mess! Some pictures & tickets end up blu-tacked to the wall, or glued inside notebooks, others left in piles here and there...Deliberating over my favourite albums from the year, a rush of memories from gigs went through my head instead. I started remembering way back in January for example, the Willy Mason gig in the Sugar Club in Dublin. (where's my ticket stub from that night?!) It was oversold. That venue is small enough, and seated, and the seating is quite spaced out too -- plush red velvet couches & stools. Once those places were taken up people got comfortable on the stairs (tiered seating = lots of stairs) the place was jammed. I was lucky to get a ticket for that one. That's one thing I love about Berlin, sometimes even at the last minute for a show it's always possible to get a ticket. I used to be buying tickets for gigs in Dublin months in advance.

Being broke has meant that I don't have a very up to date stash of new albums humming happily in my boombox. I haven't had any downloading facility for the last few months either; I've been relying on Radio Eins to keep me going while I'm broke & spending my cash on shows instead of CDs. The last three neu albums I bought were from the Cribs, Kanye West and STARS...although, I lost Late Registration in an apartment move -- Prenzlauer Berg to Kreuzberg..got to stop doing that, fuck!) I've missed out on alot of others, though in most cases -- Beck, Devendra Banhard, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Editors, Brendan Benson, the Go! Team -- at least I got to see the show. I haven't even got Bell X1's new album, Flock. That hurts. I was hugging the radio in the kitchen when their new song came on the other day. Le sigh.

Why Won't You Come Over Here? We've Got a City to Love

It's not even up on their website yet, but We Are Scientists are coming back to Berlin! I have been very reliably informed (email from Chris -- bass guitar + backing vocals) February 21st at Magnet.

I'm going to be so broke in the new year. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are coming back to Berlin aswell -- 16th February at the Postbahnhof.

Plus, the date for the Chalets might actually be their support slot for Art Brut.

Swoon, thud.

Holiday Girl (Don't Die Just Yet)

In case I wasn't already excited enough to be getting back to Berlin -- 10 days! 10 days! -- i just found out about some rather splendid upcoming gigs. Hurrah.

Arab Strap 13th Feb Magnet
My Morning Jacket 31st Jan Magnet
The Chalets 14th Jan Magnet
Hot Chip Jan 26th the Watergate (DFA party with Delia and Gavin and Tim Goldsworthy and Tim Sweeney, apparently.) ***

Ooh, I'm really excited to see Arab Strap play. Coincidentally, last night I was told the Chalets are coming to Sligo..I couldn't quite believe it, Sligo has been a very singer/songwriter town as far as gigs go -- David Kitt, Jape, Mundy, Josh Ritter.. But now the Chalets are going to stomp all over those whiny boys. Even better though, they are also coming to Berlin! I saw them play before at the Bud Rising Festival in Dublin last June, supporting Art Brut and the Rakes. The girls are kind of annoying but I like the music alot.

***I recieved this date directly from Hot Chip to my inbox at Myspace. They also are considering sticking around to do a dj gig on the 28th aswell. Hurrah!

I've Been Hit, I've Been Hit, I've Been Hit

I missed out on We Are Scientists when they came to Berlin to play at Rosis, a little over a week ago. I remember seeing a flyer on the ground somewhere or a notice in Zitty or something and their name caught my eye, but i didn't pay any more attention. AND THAT IS REALLY BAD BECAUSE THEY ARE REALLY GOOD. It's A Hit, Great Escape, Nobody Move, Inaction = great songs! And dammit, their upcoming tours are only in America and the UK. Their website is fun. I've just watched the video for "Great Escape" probably ten times. Talking about the director of the videos, Chris added "the good parts of the videos are always his idea...damn him."
Damn why did i miss that gig? Fuck.

O! The Irony! Download "inaction".

"Not Shy" -- I've been listening to this record a bit alot these past few days. I bought it last May when I was just finishing up at uni in Northern Ireland (where there are loads of great second-hand stores.) The album is by Walter Egan & was released in 1978; apparently one of the songs on it, "Magnet and Steel", was a hit -- according to his official website:
"Twenty-five years later, Walter's signature song is a staple on the radio, and can also be heard in feature films and on television."
Stevie Nicks sings on alot of the tracks, Lindsey Buckhingham and Mick Fleetwood also appear on drums/guitars, so the sound is very Fleetwood Mac-y. Whatever about "Magnet and Steel", there are two really great songs on it. "I Wannit" and "Make it Alone". They're making me feel like it's summer and not winter. Which is confusing, but good.

Open Mic night was on tonight; it was strange. It used to be on in my favourite bar, but now...well, the bar is all changed and stuff. There are some new owners or something, and they just went and ruined the only good place to go dancing / hear live music. Fuckers. They left the dingy furniture but took out the circle bar; changed the Funk Up to the Shindig; instead of Open Mic night taking place in the small and intimate cosiness of Bar Eile (a smaller bar-space adjoinging the main bar of the Garavogue) it now takes place in the main bar area. Which is pants because however difficult it sometimes was to keep a small roomful of people quiet when somebody was braving the fairy-lit stage, now it's absolutely impossible. The Funk Up has been moved downstairs too. Which is wierd, because upstairs is mostly dancefloor. But downstairs is mostly seating -- albeit with a bigger dancefloor than upstairs...it's just wierd. Didn't stop us though. Oh no. Saturday night, Karl C played Amerie, Nerd, the Doors, White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, Talking Heads...

I mean the positive thing about these changes is that more people can dance, and more people get to experience Open Mic night. But i know performers will be put off because the small and friendly atmosphere of Bar Eile is no more. Though it was nice the way they crowded comfy couches around the stage. And well, nobody cares about their dancing when they get drunk enough so im sure the Funk Up will continue to be the funnest dancing on a Saturday night evereverever. I thought I wouldn't even get to go to ONE Funk Up while i was home, but it was on at the weekend! and there's another on Stephen's night! Usually its only on the first weekend of every month, all special like. Coincidentally, this evening at Open Mic as i was recoiling in horror at the photographical evidence of our dancefloor hooliganism from Saturday night, local hero / singer/songwriter Wayne O'Connor was singing a new song about being drunk and looking stupid, with the repeated, damning line, "the state of you." Ha HA! Other notable performers from tonights Open Mic were Anthony Mannion (lovelovelove his "Stiletto" song) and Billy "the voice" (from the Deadflags) -- fulfilling a sort of dont-get-off-the-stage-yet-! request, he sang "This Charming Man", some people prefer it to the real thing.

I'm just pissed. I miss Berlin really bad. I can't stop listening to one of Cat Powers new songs, "the greatest", which is so fucking sad and beautiful. I've been home nearly a week and haven't found somewhere to practise drumming and my favourite bar is all changed. Boo.

The Strokes live at Maria, Berlin; 12th September 2005

awesome photographs by Drea Augustin

Hanging Around, the Streets of Your Town

JUST got home from Berlin a few hours ago. Opened up my mail. First thing was the 2 invites to the Future Kings of Spain party last week, that i missed.












Le pang.

Second thing was a mix CD (YAY GURI!) so the Von Bondies C'mon C'mon was the first thing I listened to. Then I flicked through the small stash of vinyl I have here, and decided to put on a Billy Holiday record. Kind of suited my mood. It was the first piece of music I bought in Berlin, back in June when I was only in the city for barely two days. Le deuxieme pang avec le grand sigh.

OK I AM GOING TO HAVE A REALLY GOOD TIME AT HOME FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS AND NOT JUST BE SULKING BECAUSE IM NOT IN BERLIN GOING TO SEE THE SHOUT OUT LOUDS AND STUFF. NO.

Even Though It Was Only One Night, It Was Fucking Strange

There was no massive queue outside the Maria, and inside not too many people were hanging out in front of the stage yet, so by about 8pm I was there, with a glass of wine in my hand, standing in a good spot. Me and my friend stood about six rows from the stage, expectant smiles on our faces as we waited. The music on the system was some dreary tuneless noise that I didn’t recognise. It made waiting harder…The band were due to come out and play at 8.30pm but that time-slot came and went, with only a haze of smoke engulfing the stage. I was already in awe. The microphone stand that was only a few feet away seemed to be ten feet tall, and Fabrizzio’s drums appeared to be absolutely massive.. I had this image of a giant sized Julian, Nikolai, Nick, Albert and Fabrizzio taking to the stage and blasting us all away. Last time I saw them was summer 2004 at Oxegen. Memories of that performance filled my head before this show at the Maria.
-Nikolai wearing a groovy ‘70s headband, standing practically offstage, facing to the side for the whole show.
-Julian mumbling incoherently in between songs (and during songs too) inaudible words, so you get confused and can’t sing along properly, and laugh alot.
-Fabrizzio & his red Coke t-shirt.
-Albert tripping over a wire and falling onto his back, but not missing a note and not stopping his playing to get up either.
-Nick, just being cool and gorgeous, leaning back with his foot planted on the amp as he delivers those killer riffs, a skinny rock star vision.
The place filled up, apparently only 350 tickets were sold for this gig, im pretty sure everybody turned up, and then some. Suddenly the music was tuned out, the Strokes came onstage, the crowd erupted into an out of control mess and there was a frenzied surge towards the stage. Myself and Drea managed to get out of it in one piece, but I saw others being dragged out unconscious. People were emerging from the mob looking drained and dazed. Not put off by this, as many as escaped the frenzy went right into it, eager to sacrifice themselves. The energy the Strokes invoked from the crowd was phenomenal, everyone was drenched in sweat and the Maria became steaming hot. People seemed to calm down a bit after the first few songs..but throughout the gig the crowd was just riotous, especially when they played an oldie.

So, Nikolai was all facing the crowd, it was nice to actually see him. Julian was skinny and bedraggled, his singing was the best I’ve ever heard it. Sometimes he was singing with his eyes tight shut and his fingers drumming together frantically. Dude needs a tambourine! I remember his chit chat in between songs was hilarious that time at Oxegen -- I mean, unintentionally so. His mumbling could be percieved as nervousness, but I think he really likes communicating with the crowd, at least showing that the band is aware that all these people have come out to see them. Several times during the gig at the Maria he ran around the stage as if to go over something with the others, they did some unplanned songs; requests that fans were shouting up at them, like Last Night. He said they hadn’t planned to do it, but somebody asked them, so. Once, Julian’s mic stand accidentally fell towards Albert, but with a deft arm movement he was able to deflect it, just as they finished up a song. Their music sounded really bang on tight and dancing to it was irreresistible!
The difference between the old and new songs was so clear to me, although that is probably just because I’m not very familiar with their new material yet. First Impressions of Earth seems to have a new sound that makes a definite break from the similarity that connected their last two albums.The mix of old & new covered “Juicebox”, (which sounded so good live) “Razorblade”, “15 Minutes of Pain”,“Take it Or Leave It”, “Last Night”, “The End Has No End”, “Soma”, “New York City Cops”, “12.51”, “Hard to Explain” (lovelovelove)...and more new songs that I dont know the name of, and some old songs i have left out im sure..it was such a good show. The band came back onstage for an encore and played an extra four songs. Julian thanked Berlin for the warm reception, muttering something about being chased down the street. I think its cool that the band got to spend some time actually hanging out in the city, instead of just arriving to play and then leave. Even if they got chased by crazies.
Practically all the dates of their upcoming European tour have sold out. I’m not interested in that tour anyway -- the Strokes will be playing a lot of major cities in a lot of big, charmless venues – arenas, halls and domes. This gig in the Maria was special.

Photographs soon!

Darling, Your Head's Not Right

In my last post I made a mistake. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's album is actually just being released on vinyl on January 24th next year. It's already been out for ages. And as 2005 draws to a close this album is sitting prettily on many a shelf, it's being shuffled through many an iPod -- it was the number 1 seller at Insound this year. No news as to a new album release date yet. Their eponymously titled debut album will be released in UK and Europe on January 23rd. THATS WHAT I MEANT TO SAY, NOT THAT THEY DIDNT EVEN HAVE AN ALBUM OUT YET. Cos they totally do. Just on the other side of the world. I did this before, I got all excited back in October for the new Stellastarr album that was out since the middle of September. I would like to say, sometimes i get confused. However, im afraid i'll just have to leave it at i get confused.

Last night i went to see the Strokes. I don't know how to put it in words yet.

Imply The Other Guy, and Scandalize the Lion

Le Strokes, LIVE! @ Maria am Ostbahnof this Monday. Like, in 3 days. I GOT TICKETS! Normally, I am not the type of person to go and queue for hours for music tickets. Music is my life, but im not fanatical like that (oK. had i known in time, i would have done it for Radiohead when they did that small venue tour around the time they released Hail to the Thief.)However, yesterday I popped into the ticket shop and enquired about this secret Strokes gig happening next week. I found out that a) the tickets were going on sale at 9am today b) they would be only available at the shop and c) alot of other people had been asking too. I figured that no Berliners would be camping all night in front of the shop, and lucked out when this morning i got up at 7am and traipsed down to the ticket kiosk on Oranian Straße, where there were only about 30 or 40 people that had shown up by that time. 2 hours later the queue behind me was hundreds full.

When I was deciding whether or not I should go to this gig I was thinking, "Pah. It's only the Strokes." But then i was also thinking that it would be a bit fun to see those shiny NY boys in a small venue for a relatively small price (23€), and that argument won over. I've only seen them once before, the summer before last at a music festival in Ireland, when they put on a really good show and ever since I've wished to see them play somewhere smaller -- where it isn't raining and there is no stink of port-a-loos. They are indeed embarking on a European tour after this string of "secret" dates, but they will be playing massive venues. I have been assured that it will be cosy at the Maria.

So, last night I went to see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The Mudd Club is quite tiny, and was filled up to squish capacity. There was no support band, and by the time the band came onstage it was after 10.30pm (doors had been open at 9) and the crowd seemed pissed. Nobody clapped or said yeah much at first. The band -- or maybe it was just their singer-- seemed blase about this gig (in comparison to the last gig i saw at the Mudd Club, which was Brendan Benson. he had an awesome support band and seemed so happy and excited to be playing that show in Berlin.)I dunno, that was my impression anyway, that this was no big deal. I thought it would have a bad effect on their performance but they played really well, so no it didn't at all.

They played several new songs, which i thought was funny because they haven't yet released their first album, i believe (new release date January 24th). The song which stuck out the most for me from the setlist was one such brand new track, "Satan Said Dance". I'm singing it all the time, it's so catchy, i think this is what the crazy Germans call an "earworm"..it is going on the best-song-to-dance-to-ever list along with "House of Jealous Lovers". I cannot wait to hear it on the dancefloor! hopefully some night soon. Their singer's voice is scratchy and high and strange. He sounds like he couldn't give a shit when he's singing, but the sweat that broke out and trickled down his face sort of gave away the energy he was putting into the performance. Plus the throbbing vein in his temple. At times, their music reminded me of the Pixies, Talking Heads and Devendra Banhard.

Slight digression -- I see from their website that Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is playing a New Year's Eve gig with the National. I actually went to see the National last week or so...it was a strange gig. I'm not sure why exactly..the crowd was totally into them and knew all their lyrics, but none of their songs were familiar to me. Before the gig, I had this notion in my head that they were an Irish band. When i saw the fiddle player onstage, i was even more convinced. But they are totally American, squeaky voices and everything. Sometimes they reminded me of Bell X1...who i love. But I dunno, I just wasn't into this band. Their support that night was Film School, who i did like, quite alot. They hung out in the crowd when the National took to the stage, I wish i had talked to them, they seemed cool and approachable. But i just ogled..So anyway, that is interesting that those bands are gonna play together.

Back to last night's gig: My first bad experience at a show here in Berlin happened to be last night at this Clap Your Hands Say Yeah show. There was this one dude who was creating havoc, all by himself, lurching backwards and forwards with a beer bottle in his hand, pushing and shoving everybody and yelling really loudly, especially when they played "Over and Over Again (Lost and Found)". The crowd was already so tightly packed that his violent behaviour was being inflicted on alot of people. It was a horrible feeling to be pushed around like that, i was holding onto a shelf trying to keep myself from falling over, so frightened that my busted leg would get kicked or something. He wasn't just jumping around having a good time, but was really aggressive and violent. He was totally oblivious to everyone staring angrily at him, this goonish smile never left his face. He nearly caused a big fight to break out among the 4 or 5 guys who were around him but he seemed to disappear after a while and the show was too good to be spoiled by one drunk asshole. Funnily enough, I spotted this guy ahead of me in the queue for the Strokes tickets this morning, beer bottle still embedded in his hand. I wanted to go over and stamp on his foot or something.


I should go and see Stereolab tonight, but that might cut my food budget in half for my last few days in Berlin before going home for Christmas. Tomorrow night is J.R Ewing at Pffefferbank with the Locust. I'm excited, and probably scared a little.

Tonight I am missing a big party in Dublin. Future Kings of Spain are having a big mad party to celebrate the completion of their new album Nervousystem. This is an exclusive opportunity to hear the new album first hand, but it’s not an album launch – it’s a party, they said. The band are gonna be playing the new stuff, and the djs after will include the new stuff in their sets. I was invited, but im sort of in Berlin and not Dublin so...that is sad and terrible. I love this band! I did a good thing though, and passed the tickets on to some appreciative souls. I hope it's a good night. Can't wait to hear their new stuff.

if you look here that is what my right leg looked like when i got run over in September. Like, totally.

'82

Last night I had a real treat. At a vernissage I attended last weekend I was introduced to Max, who it turns out makes electro music. A couple of nights ago i recieved a rather exciting text message from him that said:

ON SUNDAY: Brand new show, brand new tracks: Max Krefeld & guests live @ Club Mama, Alte Schoenhauser Str.39, 10pm. LETS DANCE."

So the gig was last night in Mama's, a sort of venue. Only sort of because the place is actually an apartment that has been fixed up as a performance space. Mattresses are held in place against the window in an attempt at soundproofing, a pole-dancing pole marks the centre of the room, and there are several massive old fashioned televisions set up with Pac-Man, Super Mario and Sonic nintendo games (that you can actually play!). The makeshift bar --serving punch & beer -- the seating area and dj spot take up most corners of the room, and the art fixed to the walls lends the chipped plaster a little dignity. Fearing that the party would be busted up early on and move somewhere else, we arrived on time, the gig was supposed to start at 10pm, so we got to see most of this being put into place. Apparently Mama's was moved to a different venue before and has only returned to take place at the apartment again since about a month ago. The turnout was still pretty good, the room was packed.

The performers arrived late, around midnight, and finally began their set, to everybody's delight. Max makes catchy electro music and last night he had two different vocalists --Mario and Isaac -- singing (live) on his tracks. Mario opened up with his song, "'82" which he wrote himself, and which he told me is a lovesong about travelling back in time. I liked it immediately. Isaac was up next. I remember a line from one of the songs he sang on, "I am so afraid of you / I don't know what to do" repeated over and over. The way he sang, and the lyrics of his songs seemed dark and sinister, in contrast to the blips and beeps and melodic sound of Max's electro beats. Unfortunately only four songs into the set the police arrived, there must have been 15 of them. Only about 40 of us. Really, it was a private party, alot of the people there were friends of the boys doing the show. We were turfed out of Mama's into the freezing cold where the police wouldn't even let us huddle together on the pavement outside the building to wait for everyone else to make it out, and i think they threatened us with some fairly serious charge though my German does not yet extend to angry-german-policeman-vernacular. I wish i had some photographs, alas no. Maybe next time.

Still waiting for the Strokes to announce the date & venue of their "secret" Berlin gig. How secret is it exactly i wonder? It's definitely sometime after December 9th, which is the date in Sweden...and it better be before the 15th, the day i fly home for Christmas.