This photo is from around 2002...I never actually used it as a poster at the time, I guess I thought it was too far out. But I always meant to use the suit in a video. Last summer I saw "Soul On Fire" by Spiritualized and I think his jacket is made from a fire suit like this. So I made a video response with my song "Uncivilized" to put on youtube as a single from the new Hopeful Monster album, METATASKING. The video is posted below featuring 16 bit CD - quality audio, so turn it up! You can download the mp3 here (kinda like taping the song off the radio, for those of you who remember doing that).
I posted the videos together in my myspace blog last summer...since then embedding has been disabled but here's a link to "Soul On Fire" by Spiritualized on youtube.
If you live in Parkdale you may have seen this flyer:
Despite my tour being based in Oxford, I didn't actually book a proper show there. But I did play at a couple of open stages — one called Catweazle Club at the East Oxford Community Centre. The event is totally acoustic (no PA) and has changed venues several times in its thirteen year history. Dozens of people pay £5 and sit perfectly silently on couches, a couple rows of chairs and the floor. Regrettably there is no footage of me but I played a couple songs early on. There were about ten acts, including David Celia, my friend from Toronto, and his friend Jonathan Seet, also Canadian but now living in Oxford. The three of us sang together a bit. I didn't get any footage of Jon's songs either. Here is David doing "Evidently True."
The last performer of the night was Damian Katkhuda aka Mostar Diving Club. He had a band called Obi who apparently played their first gig at this event, thirteen years ago. You will love him so I'll put two of his songs up.
Here's some more footage from that night at Broken Shackle Tabernacle, but not of me. It's The Junipers, from Leicester, my new favourite UK band. If any of you know Brian Murray from The Guthries, this is his doppel-drummer. Again, sucky camera work by yours truly. I put the camera on a shelf next to the projector that is making those psychedelic swirls. Lazy maybe, I just didn't want to spend the show holding a camera. The Junipers are awesome, as these bald guys will tell you.
As promised, here are a few videos I made while I was touring in the United Kingdom last November. I was only abroad for 10 days and basically covered the midlands of England, as far South as London and as far North as Nottingham. My brother Brian lives in Oxford, about 50 miles from London. He is a smartypants and teaches philosophy at the university there (maybe you have heard of it). I drove out to most of my shows from his place, and then back afterwards. The English may think this particularly hardass of me, but try telling that to a Canadian. English towns pop up every 20 miles or less; Canadians will drive 100 km, busting for a piss, just to do it at Tim Hortons.
Let's start with something from my London show at the Slaughtered Lamb. Some of my Canadian musician friends have played this event, called Electroacoustic Club. Will, the promoter, has great taste in music and picks out some fantastic performers. (Unfortunately I didn't get footage of them, just me!) Here are "Landslide" and "A Foot In The Dream." Brian shot these.
I didn't manage to film anything in Leicester or Nottingham, but I found a spot to set up my DV camcorder above the doorway in the Rugby Strip Club...as in "stripped down" i.e. acoustic / unplugged, solo acts mostly, no drum kits. No strippers. The event happens once a month at the West Indian Club, a community centre with a cheap bar and a hand made felt banner for every country in the Caribbean. It is apparently the only venue in Rugby and isn't quite downtown but not far off as its not a huge city. The home of Spiritualized, as it turns out, or Spacemen 3 anyway. Steve, who runs the night, knows one of the other guys, not J Spaceman. A guy in the audience says he went to school with Jason Pierce and if I ever meet him, say hi from Wally. His name is not Wally though. Here is "Pay The Rent." Please forgive the horrendous cinematography.
The last show of the tour was in Northampton, about 15 miles from Rugby. Another smallish city right in the middle of England. I actually drove past Rugby and Northampton pretty much every day on my way to other gigs. A shoe manufacturing town, apparently; like Toronto, has a shoemuseum. The Broken Shackle Tabernacle is another monthly event and takes place at the Northampton Labour Club. Free admission, chatty, stylish crowd. Here is "Universal Donor," shot by Andy, the sound man.
