Funsville Memetic Laboratories
at oodletuz.fsnet.co.uk
Fri 01/08/2008: Stamford Arms, Stalybridge
Last one was a cracker (see below), this one will be too. You know it.
Sat 26/07/2008: Norfolk Arms, Marple Bridge
A doubtless-welcome return to the Norfolk. Sorry I'm being so brief here, but I'm doing a couple of other things at the same time (no, not the naughty one).
Sat 28/06/2008: Springlebury - The Spring Gardens, Marple Bridge
Afternoon/evening festival from the organisers of Anglebury and Castlebury. And it was my birthday! "I'm going to enjoy it; you can't stop me", I said previously here, followed by "Sorry, that sounded needlessly paranoid. I'm not paranoid -- who's been saying that?!" In the event I did enjoy it, as did everyone, and nobody did stop me. A great day out overall - kudos to the organisers - and the weather held off too. Just to complete the festival atmosphere, there was (a) a tiny patch of mud where you walked through the fenced walkway bit into the main field, and (b) a couple of bona fide tents at the back. Probably the biggest crowd we've played to yet as well (looked like a good few more than Academy 3). Hopefully something similar will be organised next year, and I've heard whispers that it's gonna be bigger this time.
No Scary Word because no-one and nothing was scary enough. Set list will appear here when I've more time.
Fri 09/05/2008: Stamford Arms, Stalybridge
Cracking little pub with a wicked jukebox. (Cardiacs! Half Man Half Biscuit! Zappa!) Anyway we interrupted this wonderful music with our own brand of jumping around making noises and wedging beermats into keyboards for probably about an hour and a half in total. Sparsely attended, but everyone there loved it. Did I mention "England's Glory" ale for only Ł2 a bottle? Dude. Scary Word of the night was "kaputtgegangenheit" (thanks Phil for doing the "scared" look!)
| Set list as played Nasty Little Rag Doll [1] Corridor 13 Door
4 |
[1] Half of, featuring
the "alternative lyrics" (you know, the ones
with Esther Rantzen in). Extended at the beginning to
comment on disco lights. [2] Start on keyboard, then onto guitar. It's precisely as long as we want it to be. [3] Slow bit didn't really happen this time, but it'll be back... [4] Extra song not originally in set list. To Dennis Matthews: Sorry you missed this one. [5] Made up song title written at end of set list as a challenge to "make stuff up", which challenge was indeed met. All togther now: "Carpet... You Are A Carpet..." |
Wed 07/05/2008: Bakers Vaults, Stockport
A replacement slot (a Joy Division tribute band - different one from last time I think - couldn't make it). Should have been on at 9.30 but decided to play at 8.30 instead, soon as we were ready really (this also meant no Scary Word for once). The set was dedicated to Daz Clarke, big Blimp fan, big mad guy, taken from us far too early, and extra madness added to the set in his memory. Spen said at the funeral wake that I looked like one of Kraftwerk in my red shirt and skinny tie. This led to our covering "The Model". Done all on guitar despite having a keyboard right in front of me, instead I went "wowww, wa-wa-wa-wowww, wa-wowww" with my highly mobile and universally popular mouth.
| Set list as played G.S.O.H., N/S Pref., Wonga
[1] |
[1] Slightly silly
version, this was just a sort of warm-up really [2] Several bars of "Incomprehensible" with bass and silly different keyboards because Spen gave up shouting "Get us a pint" into a backing mic and went to the bar. [3] About half of this "little song from the old country"; guitar and vocal only. [4] And indeed nasty little "S.S.R.O." can turn up anywhere. Inter-song transition included beer-mat wedged into keyboard. Key of E. [5] Morphed into slow semi-ska version for last verse - this has never happened before but could happen again. |
Thu 10/04/2008: Klondyke Bowls Club, Levenshulme
As part of a monthly event entitled "Jamboree Manchester". Website here; map here. It's actually a snooker club as well. They had a Cup match on. Anyway. We were in the middle of a three-act line-up, between Shrieking Violets and Jam on Bread (should have been 4 but Mrs Cakehead couldn't make it). A few people came up and read poems / short stories before us. Contrast. Convivial atmosphere; Ken said it's like playing in someone's front room, though it wasn't that small. Play-Doh animals on the tables, plus pens and blank paper for doodling with. Everyone got up for a jam at the end, which is when I finally broke a string. Someone who borrowed the guitar broke a second string, so I guess it's not all down to my playing style. Scary Word of the Night was "nein". Reason will become apparent when I do the scan. A freaky fun night all round!
| Set
list as played Nasty Little Rag Doll (half
of) |
Fri 04/04/2008: The Railway, Romiley
By way of a farewell to Phil Jarvis, the landlord, who's off to Spain. Ken typed "Jarvo is f***ing off to Spain" into Google Translate or something, and the result came out (apparently) "Jarvo is s***, he pays in Spain". Ako znie pravidlo c'íslo jeden? "Never feed idioms into statistical translation engines." Anyway, two sets, well attended, well enjoyed, broke about 3 strings; Phil and Danny (Flat Rats) had a jam afterwards with Tyler on drums IIRC; Phil broke one of my strings as well. Yes... The Blimp gigs are where guitar strings go to die. Lots of extension / noodling / beermat wedged into keyboard activity in set 2.
| Approx.
set list Nasty
Little Rag Doll (half of) Vera Benny |
 That's really what it says. |
Sat 29/03/2008: The Sportsman's Rest, Bredbury
As part of a whole-day-and-night event in tribute to local character Geoff Penny, who I never met as far as I can recall, but apparently he was a local character and huge Bob Dylan fan who was taken from us far too early. Our contribution was to play two sets, the first one of which was written down but the second was "whatever, see what happens". I will dig out / remember set lists when I can. Between these occurred various talented local people performing Dylan songs, and we did a couple of them ourselves ("Subterranean Homesick Blues", "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35") with various people joining in. After 2nd set came further jamming, during which I played bass on "The Hurricane", which I've wanted to do for years. Great night out, much kudos to all involved. No Scary Word this time though.
| Approx.
set list Nasty
Little Rag Doll (1 verse) Subterranean
Homesick Blues |
Sat 22/03/2008: The Green Room, Manchester
What a colourful week. Blue Cat and then Green Room. Next stop is surely the Ruby Lounge, perhaps sponsored by Orange, if we're not too yellow. We will be supporting The Nouvelles. Worryingly, the details page didn't mention us, but it led on from an events list that still had 5th March on it. Right, that's that sentence nicely rearranged into the past tense. In the end we were on 2nd out of 4 bands and nicely slotted in a 35-ish minute set, which should've included "Fake Horse Removal" but that got pushed out at random by "Rifleman" (sorry Christine!). Scary Word of the Night was "obuv", until I decided that wasn't scary enough and it changed into "obav". Wooooohh!
| Nasty
Little Rag Doll (half of) Title Track What's Your Motivation Why Can't You Make My Life Simpler? Bonsai Mountain Death By Interfering Bastard Pohoda Pogoda Rifleman V. A. T. (Sci-Tech) Silly Sausage / Want Some |
 ^^^Scary word of the night^^^
|
Wed 19/03/2008: The Blue Cat, Heaton Moor
Prrrrrrr!! Blue Cat! Smart venue. Smart gig too. On straight after the football, which came via the medium of Albanian satellite television even though it was just Man U v. Bolton in the Premiership, not some big Euro gig or anything. In the end we managed about 90 minutes ourselves, though with no time added on for stoppages, it was a game of two halves, over the moon, ref's OK, etc. There's a possiblity we'll get a once-a-month residency out of it, though I've not heard anything yet.
| Approximate
set list Nasty
Little Rag Doll (half of) |
Fri 29/02/2008: Jabez Clegg, Manchester
Several bands on + DJ set by Stephen Fretwell, under the banner heading of Scape Goat Candy. Venue website here. In the end we went on at about 11pm and did a slightly shortened set. Apparently the sound guy kept messing around with the vocals. I've got a scribbled set-list somewhere but we semi-abandoned that in the end, e.g. Silly/Want wasn't on it but we finished off with it.
| Revised
set list, from memory Nasty Little Rag Doll (1
verse) |
We also did an interview on Pure Radio the previous day, Thu 28/02/2008, on the 8-10 show with Dean Bailey. First time I've done one of these. Loads of fun, nobody swore (except maybe Spen said the F-word, but then no-one could decide whether he actually had done). Got "Incomprehensible" played in spite of its length.
Thu 10/01/2008: Dry Bar, Manchester
It did happen, it did. We were third on out of four bands; the other three were all guitar-based but with drum machine backing. Roughly 35 minutes of set, which was all videoed. Hmm, 12 songs in 35 minutes, inc. gaps in between, e.g. when I broke a string yet again... Not bad going! Scary Word of the Night was short to compensate.
| Nasty
Little Rag Doll (half of) Title Track I’m Stuck! Why Can’t You Make My Life Simpler? What’s Your Motivation V. A. T. (Sci-Tech) Pohoda Pogoda Silly Sausage / Want Some Always Got A Problem Death By Interfering Bastard Welcome To Skutocznia |
|
