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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 shoe museum. 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.
