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Newsletter
No. 24
Fructidor
CCXIII
•
Football with Belle & Sebastian
• Stage times for Bank Holiday
Festivals
• Recorded sound at the famous
Rockfield Studios
The
Bank Holiday weekend will find British Sea
Power playing in concert at the Leeds and
Reading Carling Festivals and at the TDK
Cross Central Festival in London. Such
musical gatherings traditionally offer the
inquiring mind the chance to solve the
most puzzling thoughts. Like what kind of
feathers does the nice young man from The
Rasmus wear in his hair? What exactly does
Brian Molko make his hair out of these
days? And whether Merrill Nisker, also
known as Peaches, will do it right there
live on stage? However, whatever the wow
and wonder that this weekend brings, it is
unlikely to equal the time when BSP found
themselves playing at a festival where
there are actual real bears.
The
Fuji Rock Festival takes place in Japan
amid heavily forested mountains to the
north of Tokyo. British Sea Power are, of
course, known and respected for their
ten-foot stage bear Ursine Ultra. However,
imagine the bandÕs surprise when
they turned up at the only festival in the
world where you are likely to encounter a
real bear. As the band attempted a
shortcut through the woods, they were
halted by the yelling of a worried-looking
security guard. The BSP translator
translated: "Please don't go that way.
There is a bear." Sure enough, there it
was, an Asiatic Black Bear, instantly
recognisable by the distinctive white
patch on the chest.
Fuji
Rock is surely among the more remarkable
festivals in the world. Apart from the
bears, there are monkeys in the trees and
a cable car that will ferry festival-goers
on a three-mile journey across the
mountains. British Sea Power opened the
festival with a fine performance on the
main stage. There were then a couple of
acoustic TV sessions for which the band
played Salty Water, the Julian Cope song
Out Of My Mind On Dope And Speed and the
Geoff Goddard composition and Eddie
Cochrane tribute Just Like Eddie. With the
weather alternating between sunshine and
occasional intimations of the typhoon
heading across Japan to Korea, it was as
well to get the work out of the way. Then
there would be opportunity to take in such
varied delights as the Pixies, PJ Harvey,
Bucketheads Giant Robot and a spot of
football with Belle &
Sebastian.
British
Sea Power were happy to join forces with
the great Icelandic band Mum for their
football showdown with B&S. The BSP/Mum
axis raced to a 4-0 lead, with Mum singer
Kristin Anna Valtysdottir scoring a
hat-trick. Then, however, a combination of
superior stamina and impressive ball
skills from B&S singer Stuart Murdoch took
their toll. Soon Team Mum/BSP were
hopelessly behind.
The
next day, BSP were able to view Mum in
even more pleasing circumstances as they
took their place on Fuji RockÕs
White Stage and played one of the sets of
the festival. With instrumentation ranging
from Apple Mac and guitar to accordion and
a device seemingly cannibalised from
violin and solid silver hunting horn, here
was a glorious electro-pastoral fusion of
Kraftwerk and The Clangers. Other
highlights included Japanese rock
superstar Kiyoshiro Imawano. He came on
resolutely strong, like a heart-juddering
three-way combination of Serge Gainsbourg,
Lionel Blair and Johnny Halliday. Our
Japanese record company told us that the
name Kiyoshiro Imawano means ÒThe
time before you die soon - but in a good
way.Ó In Japan he is known simply
as The King.
The
flight home found BSP zooming high above
Ulan Bator, vectoring past Norrkoping and
Odense and entering UK airspace over
Norfolk. Almost directly after touchdown
the band were off to pastures new - to
Rockfield Studios just outside Monmouth in
South Wales.
BSP
were in Monmouth recording three tracks
with Graham Sutton and Phill Brown,
hopefully for the second album. Graham
releases music as Bark Psychosis and
produced the debut album from The Delays.
Phill has worked with anyone from Talk
Talk and Robert Plant to Portishead and
Devo.
Rockfield
is a remarkably harmonious place to work.
Owner Kingsley Ward recorded with Joe Meek
as part of both The Charles Kingsley
Creation and The Thunderbolts. These days
he oversees Rockfield with easy charm,
wearing a daring combination of Wellington
boots and athletics shorts. Jessie the
Jersey cow was there too, as was a
juvenile green woodpecker, probing for
ants on the lawns most nights. Amid such
bucolic pleasantry, BSP recorded takes on
Leaving Here, How Animals Work and a song
with the working title North Hanging Rock.
The
Leeds and Reading festivals are unlikely
to see anything as bewitching as Jessie or
Kingsley and his rubber boots, but they do
feature potential magnificence from The
Libertines, Roots Manuva, good old
Morrissey, The Streets, The Duke Spirit,
80s Matchbox, Franz Ferdinand and DJ
Turntable Psycho. They also feature BSP.
Stage times for British Sea Power over the
Bank Holiday are as follows. Friday 27
August Leeds Carling Festival BSP due on
stage at 1825h on Radio 1 stage (second
stage) Saturday 28 August TDK Cross
Central Festival, KingÕs Cross,
London BSP due on stage at midnight on Xfm
stage Sunday 29 August Reading Carling
Festival BSP due on stage at 1850h on
Radio 1 stage (second stage).
Please
note that, BSP have been moved from the
Lock Tavern to the Xfm stage at TDK Cross
Central. BSP now appear alongside Chicks
On Speed, Dogs Die In Hot Cars and Richard
X. The latter, composer of the magnificent
Some Girls for Rachel Stevens, will be
providing a DJ set.
Also
note, that the BSP website Concerts
sections has previously billed BSP as
appearing at 1900h in Leeds and Reading.
This was an early provisional time and has
now been superseded by the above times.
We
will conclude by wishing you all well and
remembering the recently deceased Lake
District writer and climber Harry Griffin.
We realise that we go on about ancient
Cumbrians more than some bands, but please
bear with us. Harry was initially inspired
by the climbing group The Yewdale
Vagabonds and went on to set up his own
informal climbing gang The Coniston
Tigers. In his later years he could be
heard yearning for a pre-decimal era when
ÒThe fells were empty and we had
proper wintersÓ. As BSP line up at
Reading, ready to attempt a difficult,
rain-lashed ascent through Fear Of
Drowning, let us hope that the the spirit
of The Coniston Tigers is there to guide
them.
With
thanks.
Yours,
Old Sarge
Newsletter
No. 23
Ventose
CCXIII
•
Vote for BSP
• US dates for all to see
• Tell Eamon exactly what hat to
wear
• Naked horseman, Geordie joy boy and
Dollywagon Pike
As
this newsletter is written, snow is
falling. Snow eight inches deep on the
shores of Loch Ness. Snow on the streets
of London. The forthcoming British Sea
Power album, Open Season, will also
feature a fair bit of snow.
For
one thing, there will be a big white bear
on the front cover. There will also be
songs called Victorian Ice and Oh Larsen
B, the latter a love song for the great
Antarctic ice shelf that broke up in 2002.
Of course, we hope you find snowy
enchantment in Open Season in good time.
But, for now, a little information and a
few thank yous.
Thanks
very much indeed to everyone who came to
the recent shows at High Rocks in Kent and
Grasmere in the English Lake District.
Both shows were, by any reasonable rock
index, remarkable. At High Rocks, the
usual entertainment is Sir Bobby Robson in
conversation or Georgie Fame playing all
his hits over a three-course dinner at
£25 per person. British Sea Power and
a bag of cheese-and-onion cost a little
over ten pounds. From the beamed hall to
the berserk finale, it was an evening that
lodged irreducibly in the memory
box.
The
show at Grasmere village hall was a more
serene affair, given a bewitching mood by
both the hall itself and the peaks of
Rydal Fell, Dollywagon Pike and Willie
Wife Moor towering all around. Thanks
again to Mick Wright for suggesting this
venue.
Both
shows produced fitting reaction in the
popular press. The High Rocks show was
reviewed in The Independent On Sunday by
the consistently astute Simon Price. As
well as giving a detailed account of the
night, Mr Price was unambiguous on the
quality of forthcoming BSP album: "On
first, second, third, fourth and fifth
listen, it will definitely be one of this
writer's albums of 2005." The full review
can be seen at: www.enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/reviews/story.jsp?story=613048
The
Grasmere show is the backdrop for a
two-page feature in the current NME.
Resourceful Geordie bon-vivant James Jam
was also unguarded in his assessment of
the new BSP album:
"New
album Open Season, the follow up to the
preposterously ace The Decline Of British
Sea Power, epitomises everything that is
great about pop music right now. Literate,
impassioned and full of tunes, it feels
like the product of a band who know their
time is finally now."
Good
for the news boys and good for good for us
all. There is further BSP-related cheer at
NME.com at the moment. The following URL
will direct you toward the opportunity to
choose a new official stage hat for Eamon.
The successful hat-selector will win
tickets for the April BSP tour of Scotland
and England: www.nme.com/features/111502.htm
Before
the tour, on March 21, BSP will release
the first single from Open Season - It
Ended On An Oily Stage. The single has
recently been beaming out on Radio 2, XFM,
6 Music and Radio 1. The single will be
available on CD, enhanced CD and
seven-inch vinyl. There will be a total of
four all-new B-sides, including one
particularly lovely cover
version.
It
has been decided not to try to follow the
last two singles and individually name
each seven-inch. As you will recall, the
Carrion seven-inch was inscribed with the
names of 2,003 coastal features, the
Remember Me single with the names of 2,003
friends and famous folk worthy of
remembrance. No reasonable counterpart
came to mind, so it was decided to leave
well alone. However, as one prize-worthy
recent post on the BSP website Forum
reminded us, that is not to say that the
Oily Stage sevens will be without
uniqueness. As Forum regular Replacing
Hercules accurately observed:
I've
heard that each record will be issued with
an individual unique receipt printed with
the name, address and telephone number or
the shop, the name and cost of the record,
cash given and change received along with
the date and time of purchase and the
cashier's name.
For
anyone who wants Oily Stage without till
receipt, it is currently available for
download from iTunes for 79p. The Oily
Stage video is currently being aired on
MTV2 and features a naked man on a horse
and a compendium of live BSP footage from
across the ages. You can make the
every-moment dream come true for the young
men of BSP by voting for the Oily Stage
video. Please proceed to the following
link and click on the big black box marked
Your Chart, Your Vote: www.mtv2europe.com/mtv2europe.com/nmeChart.jhtml
As
someone once observed, Vote for the man
who promises least; he will be the least
disappointing. All we are promising you is
the chance to view five chumps dancing
around beside a man dressed as a bear.
And, maybe, just maybe, stopping the kids
sitting round the telly and looking at the
chump from Green Day more that is strictly
necessary. You will agree, the latter is
an important humanitarian
mission.
Finally,
we would like to formally send out the
dates for the BSP tour of North
America:
April
2005: Weds 27 April Seattle WA
Neumos Thurs 28 April Portland OR Douglas
Fir Lounge Sat 30 April San Francisco CA
The Independent
May
2005: Sun 1 May Indio CA Coachella Arts
& Music Festival Tues 3 May San Diego
CA Casbah Fri 6 May Denton TX Haileys Sat
7 May Austin TX Emo's Sun 8 May Houston TX
Fat Cat's Tues 10 May Atlanta GA The Earl
Weds 11 May Carrboro NC Cats Cradle Thurs
12 May Washington DC Black Cat Fri 13 May
Philadelphia PA First Unitarian Church Sat
14 May New York NY Bowery Ballroom Mon 16
May Cambridge MA Middle East Tues 17 May
Toronto ONT Lee's Palace Weds 18 May
Cleveland OH Grog Shop Thurs 19 May
Chicago IL Logan Square
Auditorium
You
are unlikely to see snow at these
concerts, but we can all but guarantee a
nice bit of rock music at its most
gorgeously glacial.
With
thanks.
Yours,
Old Sarge
Newsletter
No. 22
Germinal CCXII
• Remembering the great Bob
Copper
• BSP announce historic alliance with
Budvar
• Birch-bundle abrasion available for
both sexes
• Handful of tickets remaining for
Shepherd's Bush Empire
ROBERT
JAMES COPPER 1915-2004 Folk-singer,
folklorist, writer.
This
BSP newsletter is dedicated to Bob Copper,
who died on 29 March at the age of 89.
Regular visitors to British Sea Power and
environs will perhaps know something of
Bob Copper and his key-stone role with
East Sussex traditional singers The Copper
Family. The finest brains may also be
aware that British Sea Power have been
blessed enough to play alongside The
Coppers from time to time. BSP have been
based down by the dulcet Downs and shingle
shores of East Sussex for a couple of
years or so. The Coppers have been here
for two centuries.
British
Sea Power first came across The Copper
Family by happy accident, drawn in by the
four craggy yet benign faces on the cover
of their Come Write Me Down album, on
compact disc. The sleeve notes revealed
that these recordings were part of a
profound history. These singers originated
in Rottingdean, just down the coast from
Brighton. Yet they had sung with Woody
Guthrie and at The Carnegie Hall. The
noted folklorist Alan Lomax had seen fit
to have their recordings added to the US
Library Of Congress. Here was a hugely
distinctive sound: plaintive, happy-sad,
unaccompanied songs about love, luscious
libations and labouring in the fields.
It
seemed reasonable to argue that here was
an English blues music and one blissfully
free of the inevitable self-consciousness
with which young white men from Mick
Jagger to Jack White have adeptly paid
homage to the blues. And if the blues
often sets store by the traditional ways
of dues-paying, who had paid them like the
Coppers? Folk-song collector Kate Lee
documented James Brasser Copper,
grandfather of Bob, singing his songs in
1898. In turn, Brasser could recall his
own granddad singing the same songs in the
late 18th Century. Alongside, this
fascinating family history, Bob
Copperâs own biography was the stuff
of the rarest joy. He first worked as farm
labourer, then as lather boy for the local
barber. Time as a lather boy would have
been enough for most, but Bob went on to
join the Life Guards and then the West
Sussex Constabulary. What an individual!
With his easy and seeming omnipresent
charm, here was a man who could give a
desirable face to three of the most
routinely disparaged institutions in the
land: the forces, the fuzz and folk music.
Despite
all the wondrous heritage of The Copper
Family, an e-mail from a then unknown
indie-rock group was all it took to summon
The Coppers to a Club Sea Power evening,
to be staged amid the modest confines of
Brighton pub The Freebutt. Money was not
mentioned. All they asked was a barrel of
best bitter brewed by Harveys Of Lewes.
When the then 87-year-old Bob and the rest
of the Coppers gathered on the barely
existent stage and began to sing songs
like Babes In The Wood and Warlike Seamen
to a crowd who had clearly never heard
them before, the effect was instantaneous
and remarkable. The whole room was rapt. A
thrilling sense on bonhomie hung in the
air. "Thank you," said Bob with smiling
eyes and a raised glass. "Thank you for
listening to some music from before when
music was invented." The second time The
Copper Family played alongside British Sea
Power was in late April 2003, when BSP
staged an evening at the The Ram Inn in
Firle to mark the imminent release of
their debut album. As the dimming evening
light shone through the hawthorns outside,
the night went well. Sandwiches were
served and Harveys was on tap. The Copper
Family sang and again it was treasurable,
again it made things better. The album The
Decline Of British Sea Power was to
receive kindly appraisal from the critics
of London and beyond. Even so (and sorry
reporter and radio man and woman), it
meant more than any number of marks out of
ten just to have The Copper Family happy
to play on the same stage as BSP. Bob
Copper is gone, but not gone. What a life,
a life that is still with us.
Even
in his 88th year, Bob Copper joined the
rest of his clan for shows in the United
States. Good for him and good for British
Sea Power who recently completed their own
and their longest tour of North America to
date. The band approached this great land
mass at heights of up to 37,000 feet and
with a ground speed of sometimes over 500
mph. Even after they had landed, wonder
did not cease.
Highlights
of the tour included the chance to yodel
in the Zion National Park in Utah and to
watch Pimp My Ride, the television
programme on which hip-hop motoring
enthusiasts customise and refurbish their
cars to startling effect. There were
sold-out shows all along the way, notably
at New Yorkâs Bowery Ballroom. All
the while, BSP were supported in great
style by the East Anglian quartet Kaito,
whose new album Band Red is out now on
Blast First Records. Kaito guitarist Dave
once worked on a pig farm. When asked to
compare this profession with that of
ensemble musician, he explained that there
was not too much difference. "It's quite
similar," said Dave. "In both cases,
everyone has their own little job to do."
Damn right, sir.
In
Atlanta, the local fish-and-chip shop
offered a choice of whiting, trout,
catfish or croaker. Then it was time to
head right across Alabama, Mississippi and
Louisiana to play the final show of the
tour at the SXSW music convention in
Austin Texas. BSP were glad to see that,
as with last year, the trees of Austin
were full with grackles, a sinister bird
distinguished in the south-eastern states
by iridescent bars on its wings..
Ominous
and brooding, the grackles loitered over
events while the world of popular music
hurried back and forth, carrying both
synthesiser and boxes of promotional CDs.
Perhaps this looming presence accounts for
the desperate, driven mood with which BSP
have so far played at SXSW. Last year saw
the once-only diversion of guitarist Noble
lobbing heavy bar stools from a great
height at the crowd. Potentially disabling
your audience is never the best of career
strategies. This year, BSP settled for
playing rock music of uncommon and
exhilarating power. The evening concluded
with the bar-staff dancing on the bar and
the bar manager furiously trying to stop
the band running over time. As he pushed
his way onto the stage, he attempted a
stern and disciplinarian bearing. Then, as
he was engulfed by the joyous abandon, his
grimace dissolved helplessly into broad
grin. That was BSP at SXSW,
irresistible.
British
Sea Power's next concert performance will
be at The Roxy in Prague, alongside The
Ecstasy Of Saint Theresa, on Thursday 8
April. Not only will BSP be playing in the
most glorious of cities, but they will be
there in the Easter period, a time at
which the Czechs are given to vigourous
activity. We are told that Easter is when
male Czech villagers can be observed
beating female behinds with birch twigs in
exchange for sweets and shots of brandy.
The activity is supposed to aid fertility.
Always an equal-opportunity band, BSP
would like to embrace this custom, but
also to suggest that birch-beating may be
equally applied to both man and woman.
Perhaps we can supply twig portions on
stage for this purpose
The
British Sea Power concert in Prague also
sees the band enter into association with
the renowned Czech brewer, Budweiser
Budvar of Ceske Budejovice. Of course,
this happy alliance should not be confused
with the typical and tawdry round of
booze-rock sponsorship. The fact Budvar
are giving the band a modest amount of
cash money does not alter this in the
slightest. Oh no. BSP are, of course,
immune to the notion of money as an end in
itself. Just as music and myth are
machines for the suspension of time, money
for BSP is a mechanism that allows us to
do what we must. Frankly, the more of the
money supply that BSP can control at any
moment, the better for the world.
For
many months now, Budvar has been the
specified beer on the BSP rider. The band
see the way Budweiser Budvar have
successfully resisted attempts by the
piss-poor American Budweiser brand to
suppress them as a simple and stirring
victory for right over wrong, aesthetic
delight over corporate might. Thus, BSP
are happy to announce Budvar as
Plenipotent Drinks Provisioners By
Appointment To British Sea Power. Let us
all raise a glass and never mistakenly
attribute this BSP-Budvar association the
questionable qualities of, say, the
photograph Miss Lovely Legs Competition At
The Pick n Pay Hypermarket, Boksburg (as
so beautifully realised on gelatin silver
print by David Goldblatt in 1980).
Finally,
let us look ahead to the BSP April tour of
England and Scotland. Unforgettable
actions and features are being planned.
Who knows, despite his now patchy pelt and
many missing teeth, the BSP bear Ursine
Ultra may stride forth once more. By way
of public-service announcement, we must
advise you that the concert at Shepherds
Bush Empire, London, is now a hairbreadth
from selling out. We hope to see many of
you at this show. Let us hope that the
spirit of Bob Copper is there to inspire
us all. We can be lather boys, just for
one day.
With
thanks.
Yours,
Old Sarge
Newsletter
No. 21
Ventose
CCXII
• Czech single details
• The Isle Of Wight Festival
• Hummingbirds and Trumpeter
Swans
Once
again, this universe of ours takes with
the one hand and gives with the other.
Recent weeks have seen the death of John
Charles, the glorious Gentle Giant of
Welsh and Italian football. Famously,
Charles was a resolutely placid soul who
refused to use his immense strength to
make his point. As he once remarked,
ÒIf I have to knock them down to
play well, then I donÕt want to
play at all.Ó
Another
sad departure has been that of Alice
ÔJammyÕ Cross. A remarkable
female mountaineer of the inter-war years,
Alice came from Kendal, hometown of
three-fifths of British Sea Power. Her
nickname derived from the French jamais or
never, such was her immense and
unflappable resolve. She would think
nothing of walking 15 miles up into the
Lakeland Fells, tackling a vertiginous
rock face and then cycling 20 miles home
so she could be at work in the morning as
a clerk at KendalÕs
ÔKÕ shoes factory. Alongside
the dimming of such inspirational lights,
there is the occasional shaft of joy. For
instance, a recent BBC tally of
BritainÕs best-selling singles
artists revealed that another great
Welshman, ShakinÕ Stevens, has
actually sold more singles than such
relentless bores as Oasis, Robbie Williams
and U2. Our international readership may
be only dimly aware of the peculiar
qualities of Shaky, the heart-warmingly
pro-am Welsh Elvis who assailed the charts
through the 1980s with the likes of Hot
Dog, A RockinÕ Good Way and The
Best Christmas Ever. However, rest assured
that ShakyÕs triumph over these
beat-group bullies is every bit as
stirring as the way in which Finland held
out against the might of Muscovy in the
Russo-Finnish War of 1939-40. But even in
ShakyÕs against-the-odds victory
there is melancholy. ShakinÕ
StevensÕs guileless
rockÕnÕroll puritanism
canÕt help but take us to the
equally artless glam rock of Mud, whose
singer Les Gray has just died.
Mud
laid waste to 1970s UK chartland with the
likes of Tiger Feet. This was a different
era, when pop stars hadnÕt been to
school let alone stage school. They were
siphoned directly onto the
three-shows-a-night club circuit from a
previous career as child-labourers in
sunless blacking factories. The almost
inevitable rickets helped these showbiz
beginners acquire potent novelty dance
steps. It was a milieu of bracing
simplicity in all respects. As Les said in
1994 in explanation of his bandÕs
name:
ÒI
donÕt know why we called ourselves
Mud, but I know we wanted a short name
like The Who as it would look good on
posters. If youÕre on at festivals
with a lot of acts, you want big
lettering. You donÕt stand a chance
if youÕre called The Incredible
String Band.Ó
Presumably
no one explained this to Smokey Robinson
And The Miracles or Orchestral Manoeuvres
In The Dark, or indeed British Sea Power.
What chance our boys? Not only do they
suffer from far too many syllables, but
now they are working with a band called
The Ecstasy Of Saint Theresa. What hope
for this pairing at the summer festival
season?
We
can now confirm the track listing for the
limited-edition single that British Sea
Power have recorded in collaboration with
the Czech RepublicÕs The Ecstasy Of
Saint Theresa. The three tracks are A
Lovely Day Tomorrow, Zitra Bude Krasny Den
and Fakir. A Lovely Day Tomorrow and Zitra
Bude Krasny Den are, respectively, English
and Czech-language versions of A Lovely
Day, both with lead vocals from The
EOSTÕs resplendent Katerina
Winterova and viola from the south-coast
strings princess Abigail Fry. Fakir is a
1930s Czech composition played and sung by
British Sea Power, with assistance from
the esteemed Brighton groups The
Tenderfoot and Actress Hands
The
single will be released in a numbered
edition of 1,942 on 17 April in Britain.
It will be available only via the
bandÕs website and on the April
tour of Scotland and England. This tour
commences on 17 April at Edinburgh Venue.
The single will be available in shops only
in the Czech Republic where it will be
released by Rough Trade Bohemia in
conjunction with EMI Czech Republic, which
is The Ecstasy Of Saint TheresaÕs
label in their homeland.
Of
course, the fact that the single is being
released in an edition of 1,942 does take
us toward the songÕs subject
matter. The song subtly alludes to a
distinct moment in Czech history, one that
was by turns inspiring and tragic. As the
lyrics suggest, the song looks back to a
moment when men flew through the sky from
England and on over Bohemia and Moravia,
intent on halting the devil in his
Mercedes-Benz.
British
Sea Power play a concert with The Ecstasy
Of Saint Theresa in Prague on 8 April.
This show will be at The Roxy and tickets
should be available via the following
links: www.ticketstream.cz or
www.ticketpro.czpurpose
The
land of Budvar and Pilsner Urquell! The
land of Bohumil Hrabal and Jaroslav Hasek!
British Sea Power are looking forward to
this Prague show to the utmost. As BSP
guitarist Noble explained recently when
the Czech magazine ULTRAM:X asked about
the bandÕs interest in the country:
ÒWhen
I think of the Czech Republic, I think of
the giant basalt rock structures and the
tasty berries that we came across when me
and Hamilton went on holiday and camped
out in the woods of the Czech Paradise. I
also think of writers like Bohumil Hrabal
and Jaroslav Hasek and the tramp we met on
the Charles Bridge who could use his farts
to play Beatles songs. WeÕd like to
think that HasekÕs book The Good
Soldier Svejk has something in common with
British Sea Power. Like us he ended up
wearing a uniform against his better
nature. We used to wear uniforms when we
started, but weÕre not militarists.
Us wearing uniforms is like Freddie
Mercury joining the army.Ó
The
Prague show should be part of a most
memorable night amidst this cityÕs
gothic perpendiculars and glittering Art
Nouveau curlicues. Certainly, news from
North America indicates that the band are
playing with abandon at the moment. The
tour started on 23rd February at Vancouver
Richards. In Los Angeles, a young lady
presented the band with matching sets of
specially knitted hats and scarves. Ringo
StarrÕs family were at the show and
they told BSP that Ringo would have loved
to have been there and is an admirer of
the album. It also seems the glorious Sex
Pistols guitar brute Steve Jones has been
playing British Sea Power on his radio
show. Good for Mr Jones! The bandÕs
bus route took them through the impressive
canyons of UtahÕs Zion National
Park. Yodelling was enjoyed. There has
also been time for a little wildlife
observation. The band were pleased to see
the AnnaÕs Hummingbird, which we
believe is the only hummingbird to winter
on North AmericaÕs West Coast.
Furthering such happy incidents, one
British Sea Power ticket holder was also
able to confirm sighting of Trumpeter
Swans and a Gyr Falcon while travelling
for shows. At all dates, the fine East
Anglian ensemble Kaito have been
supporting and joy has been unbound.
Hopefully,
BSP will be able to maintain their
currently ecstatic trajectory when they
commence their British dates on 17 April.
British Sea Power have also confirmed an
appearance at the Isle Of Wight Festival.
We couldnÕt resist the ferry ride
and the chance to see the healthy Red
Squirrel population.
BSP
will be playing at the Isle Of Wight
Festival at Seaclose Park, Newport, on
Saturday 12 June on the same bill as The
Who, Manic Street Preachers and The
Electric Soft Parade. ItÕs all
connected, you see. The Manics, The Soft
Parade and BSP could all learn a lot about
festival billing from Mud and The Who. Les
Gray clearly knew a thing or two about
names. Who else could have come up with
such a splendid alter-ego for his 1981
Presley tribute, Rock On Elvis? For this
disc he was known as Tulsa McLean. Les,
John Charles and Jammy Cross, may you all
rest in peace.Ó
With
thanks.
Yours,
Old Sarge
Newsletter
No. 20
Nivose CCXII
• Wolves nearing Geneva
• The 17th best album in all the
world
• Concert dates in Holland and North
America
• BSP website currently unavailable,
but not for long
Hnnnngh...
Uhhhhrrr... Yawwwhhn! Behold, down there,
under the leaves. Yes! A stirring at BSP
HQ. Slowly, carefully, the denizens
peculiar to this region are coming back
awake. Could this really be 2004? Or even
deep into the season of Nivose in the year
CCXII on the French Revolutionary
Calendar? But, we mean, give us a break.
It is still pretty black round here at
seven in the morning, while the only signs
of life are the poor and bedraggled
sparrows picking at peanuts, blasted and
resigned to the threat of aflatoxins
lurking within these mangy nuts.
At
this time of year, it is easy to lurk and
malinger and generally adopt a posture
well known in the world of theatre.
Namely, the self-important rantipole
Viennese shopkeeper fretting about the
absence of his new uniform. Yacuntya! as
the narrator is sometimes given to observe
in the novels of The Great Alan Warner.
But, bear with us. We are now ready to
bring you news, on-the-spot report and a
certain amount of startling statistic.
Over
the midwinter period the general
administration at BSP HQ was fairly
inundated with information and incident.
Did you know that the largest stadium in
the world is the Strahov stadium in
Prague, with room for 240,000 souls? Or
that, through no real virtue or vice of
her own, the face of Queen Elizabeth II
appears on the coins of 35 countries? Or
that The Hymn To Freedom, the Greek
national anthem, has 158 verses? Or that
wolves have been sighted less than 80
kilometres from Geneva?
All
of which, we can tell you, is stirring the
members of British Sea Power into an
implacable determination to write a song
with 159 verses. (Or to record a second
album). To travel to within 79 kilometres
of Geneva. (Or play some concerts in
Holland). To see a new face depicted on
the coins of 36 countries. (Not their own,
of course, but maybe the likeness of the
increasingly respected actress Denise Van
Outen, possibly disgraced ice queen Tonya
Harding, or, best of all, the resplendent
singing star Jamelia).
That's
right. Songs are being written and there
are concert dates to announce. Let us hope
that the forthcoming shows will be as
memorable as the event British Sea Power
staged on the New Year Eve at The Garage
in London. The full programme consisted of
performances from The Brakes and The
Pipettes, two sets from British Sea Power
and a raffle. But these bare bones only
hint at the weight of green leaves and
rush of bonhomie that filled this
smoke-blackened rock outpost. Why, The
Poetic Moment was reliably recorded by
three independent and experienced
observers!
As
midnight struck, joyous pandemonium
blended into a haunting air from lone
piper Jimmy Finnegan. This was followed by
the stirring sight of young limbs heading
en masse for the bar, clearly mindful of
that favourite Icelandic proverb: If
you're going to drink and drive, make sure
you have a car! As the heroic Simon Price,
the only music critic to be seen stalking
the venues of Britain in PVC trousers and
with startling, self-fashioned
Celto-Vorticist antlers stuck to his head,
observed in his review in The Independent
On Sunday:
"One
felt oddly privileged to have spent the
changing of the calendar with this
group... British Sea Power are the only
band of their kind to recognise the bigger
picture, to dare to look beyond the
instant thrills of youth, and sing about
mortality and decay with a fearless,
pitiless clarity beyond their years."
Sounds
like on hell of a good-time party night,
don't it? But, this is a bold judgement
and an encouraging one. We can go on, we
will go on.
British
Sea Power can now formally announce tours
of North American and Holland to precede
their April tour of Britain. Their full
current touring schedule for 2004 now
reads as follows:
BRITAIN
February 2004 16 High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire Chilterns Student Union.
Tickets: 01494 446330.
NORTH
AMERICA February 2004 23 Vancouver, BC @
Richards on Richards 24 Seattle, WA @
Crocodile Cafe 25 Portland, OR @ Berbatis
Pan 27 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the
Hill (at Noisepop Festival) 28 Los
Angeles, CA @ Spaceland 29 Los Angeles, CA
@ Echo March 2004 2 Denver, CO @ Larimer
Lounge 3 Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck 4
Columbia, MO @ Mojos 5 Chicago, IL @ Empty
Bottle 6 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop 8
Toronto, ONT @ Horseshoe Tavern 9
Montreal, QUE @ La Salla Rosa 10
Cambridge, MA @ TTs The Bear 11
Providence, RI @ The Call 12 Philadelphia,
PA @ Northstar 13 New York, NY @ Bowery
Ballroom 15 Washington, DC @ Black Cat 16
Carrboro, NC @ Go Studios 17 Atlanta, GA @
Echo Lounge 19 Austin. TX @ SXSW festival
HOLLAND
April 2004 1 Rotterdam Rotown 2 Groningen
Vera 3 Amsterdam Paradiso (headlining at
Tombola showcase night) 5 Utrecht Ekko
BRITAIN
April 2004 17 Edinburgh The Venue, Calton
Road. Tickets: 0131 226 7010. 19 Newcastle
University, Kings Walk. Tickets: 0191 233
0444. 20 Liverpool University, Mount
Pleasant. Tickets: 0151 256 5555. 21
Sheffield Club Zero, Matilda Street.
Tickets: 0114 276 7093. 22 Manchester
Academy, Oxford Road. Tickets: 0870 154
4040. 23 Birmingham Barfly, Floodgate
Street. Tickets: 0870 907 0999 25
Leicester University, University Road.
Tickets: 0115 912 9000 26 Norwich The
Waterfront, King St. Tickets: 01603 50 80
50. 27 Bristol The Fleece, St Thomas
Street. Tickets: 0117 929 9008 29 London
Shepherd's Bush Empire, Shepherds Bush
Green. Tickets: 08701 500 044.
We
can only advise you that tickets are are
going like real desirable heated-through
pasties. We would hate anyone to be left
outside, drunk to stupor and sleeping in a
ditch having spent their last coin calling
Our Lady Of Perpetual Succour convent
schoolhouse to rasp portentous quotations
down the line to disinterested
sixth-formers, rather like The Man Who
Walks, the fictional character as
portrayed by The Great Alan
Warner.
There
may be other live engagements ahead,
including the long-awaited debut
performance in Prague and an island hop in
the month of April. But we will conclude
with news just in from the occasionally
perplexing realm of the writer and
reporter. Mr Steve Lee of leading
destitution-defeating, street-vendor mag
The Big Issue In The North has declared
the album The Decline Of British Sea Power
the best LP released in the year 2003.
Surprisingly
enough, Mr Lee is one of a select band of
critics who have pinned BSP with the
supreme golden gong. But the precise
methods of the statistician tell us that
BSP have at least made a fair dint in the
collective mind of the British critic.
This was underlined when HMV Records
published their Poll Of Polls for 2003.
This chart took every end-of-year Best
Albums list published in Britain (from
newspapers such The Guardian and The Daily
Telegraph through to specialist music
publications like MOJO, Q and the NME).
The idea was to produce a mathematical
average of all these lists. By this
measure, The Decline Of British Sea Power
was judged to be the 17th best album
released in the whole wide world last
year. Yes, we know, there has to be
something broke in a totalisation machine
that sets BSP below the damn Audio Bullys,
but there you go. Not a disastrous start.
HMV
Records Poll Of Polls 2003: 1. Outkast -
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below 2. Dizzee
Rascal - Boy In Da Corner 3. Mars Volta -
De-Loused In The Comatorium 4. White
Stripes - Elephant 5. The Darkness -
Permission To Land 6. Radiohead - Hail To
the Thief 7. The Rapture - Echoes 8. Blur
- Think Tank 9. Four Tet - Rounds 10. The
Strokes - Room On Fire 11. Super Furry
Animals - Phantom Power 12. Yeah Yeah
Yeahs - Fever To Tell 13. Muse -
Absolution 14. My Morning Jacket - It
Still Moves 15. Audio Bullys - Ego War 16.
Jane's Addiction - Strays 17. British Sea
Power - Decline of the British Sea Power
18. The Thrills - So Much For the City 19.
Kings of Leon - Youth and Young Manhood
20. The Distillers - Coral Fang
Finally,
apologies that the BSP website has been
unavailable for a while now. A little
local difficulty with the fine-tunings of
the credit card. Fingers crossed, this
conjunction of words and pictures will
soon be back with us. We will be sure to
send out a note to the BSP mailing list
when this happy day arrives.
We
hope to see you at Cleveland Grog Shop and
the Groningen Vera.
With
thanks.
Yours,
Old Sarge
Newsletter
No. 19
Frimaire CCXII
• Craps with The Strokes
• Alcohol-by-volume with John
McEnroe
• Concert dates in 2004 with British
Sea Power
As
the year rolls to an end, it seems to have
been a particularly bad year for
colourfully named political figures. The
Reverend Canaan Banana, first president of
the independent Zimbabwe, bit the dust.
Then it was curtains for General Panic,
former military henchman to manky old
Milosevic. While the world has said
goodbye to the above, British Sea Power
continue to say hello to the finest names
in popular music today. Following
delightful previous tours with Pulp, The
Flaming Lips, Interpol and The Copper
Family of Rottingdean, December saw
British Sea Power support The Strokes in
Britain and Spain.
The
concerts with The Strokes began at Glasgow
Braehead Arena. This arena forms part of a
shopping complex where the usual
entertainment runs to buying something
from KFC or stepping outside to have a go
on a fairground joyride adorned with
paintings that possibly depict J-Lo and
Madonna. Or is it Carmen Miranda and Queen
Elizabeth I? Anyway, inside, the
alterno-rock alternative was suddenly
thrown into doubt. While the technicians
made ready the venue for The Strokes, the
main lighting truss was accidentally
buckled and bent, meaning the whole show
might be cancelled. In the meantime, while
all tensely waited, the men of The Strokes
revealed themselves as most charming and
affable characters. Julian Casablancas
popped by the BSP dressing room in
understated style. Albert Hammond Jr m
joshed and wisecracked with a
master-showman style, one that would have
served him equally well hanging out with
Chaplin, Cary Grant or Captain Birdseye.
The
show was eventually cleared to go ahead
and BSP took to the stage before fulsome
array of foliage. They played most capably
and drew a very good reaction from a crowd
who were clearly new to the band. When the
10-foot BSP bear Ursine Ultra took to the
stage during the closing Rock In A, this
Scottish audience defied stereotypes of
thriftiness by pelting him with coins.
Thus, a total of £1.40 was raised
toward two pounds of fresh salmon to treat
the bear on the later journey south. With
the crowd duly primed, The Strokes took
them to great heights of ecstasy.
The
show with The Strokes at Cardiff
International Arena was glorious all
round, with the audience even outstripping
Glasgow for enthusiasm and brimming
bonhomie. Pre-show, British Sea Power
fortified themselves with Double Dragon
beer and the much-loved John Betjeman
album Late Flowering Love. BSP then again
performed with distinction, leaving the
stage to Radio Ga Ga-style display of
clapping that stretched to the back of the
arena. The Strokes were, frankly,
incandescent. As they say, it is often the
simple things that are most difficult.
Tonight, The Strokes played succinct,
superb popular song and made it look easy.
It was not difficult to see how they had
young hearts swooning in pretty much the
same way bad-boy Betjeman swooned in his
poem to the black-stockinged Myfanwy:
Were
you a prefect and head of your dormitory?
Were you a hockey girl, tennis or gym? Who
was your favourite? Who had a crush on
you? Which were the baths where they tough
you to swim?
Cardiff
was followed by two nights at Alexandra
Palace. In the Strokes dressing room
before the first show, Yan and Noble found
themselves chatting with a visiting John
McEnroe. Forthright discussion of
premium-strength beers took place. McEnroe
argued in the cause of Carlsberg Special
Brew. Noble fought the corner for Gold
Label barley wine. Then, in a venue that
was once the original home of the BBC,
these two bands broadcast in the undimming
language of great entertainment.
Finally,
it was across the sea and down past
Finisterre, all the way to Barcelona.
Another marvellous show was followed by
both bands making a joint trip to a local
casino. Mr Fab Moretti was kind enough to
lend Noble and Eamon 30 Euros each to
stake on the craps table. Instantly, Noble
made good on this investment and returned
Fab his investment, with a wonky smile by
way of interest. Such hedonism took its
toll the next morning. Eamon had to be
wrenched from his bed to make the flight
home, the sheets being pulled back to
reveal a naked form seemingly taken from a
particularly grotesque transformation
scene in The Strange Case Of Dr Jekkyl And
Mr Hyde. Oh, how the tour manager earned
his money that day.
These
dates with The Strokes are now to be
followed by the first BSP shows in Japan.
BSP will then return from the East to
perform at their New Year Club Sea Power
event on 31 December at The Garage,
London. Beyond that, we are pleased to now
announce the first British BSP dates of
2004, to take place in April. These will
start with the first ever BSP show in
Edinburgh and finish at the Shepherds Bush
Empire in London, the bandâs biggest
headline show yet. Dates as follows.
APRIL
17 Edinburgh The Venue, Calton Road.
Tickets: 0131 226 7010. 19 Newcastle
University, Kings Walk. Tickets: 0191 233
0444. 20 Liverpool University, Mount
Pleasant. Tickets: 0151 256 5555. 21
Sheffield Club Zero, Matilda Street .
Tickets: 0114 276 7093. 22 Manchester
Academy, Oxford Road. Tickets: 0870 154
4040. 23 Birmingham Barfly, Floodgate
Street. Tickets: 0870 907 0999. 25
Leicester University, University Road.
Tickets: 0115 912 9000. 26 Norwich The
Waterfront, King St. Tickets: 01603 50 80
50. 27 Bristol The Fleece, St Thomas
Street. Tickets: 0117 929 9008. 29 London
Shepherds Bush Empire, Shepherds Bush
Green. Tickets: 08701 500 044.
To
get tickets for London show without
booking fee, pay with cash in person at
the following venues: The Astoria, The
Jazz Cafe and The Garage. The Astoria and
The Jazz Cafe should be open in office
hours.
Well,
that is all for now. If your name is Ms C
Lion or General Accident, please keep your
head down over the festive period. British
Sea Power look forward to seeing some of
you at The Garage on 31 December. To
everyone, a most pleasant midwinter
grog-in. Keep the home fires burning.
Best
wishes.
Yours,
Old Sarge,
Newsletter
No. 18
Brumaire CCXII
• Report from Seattle show
• A bear claw for your breakfast
• Kings Of Leon restore historic
naval vessel
We
They have taught the parrot to say they
are not at home and have packed just the
luggage they need. That is correct.
British Sea Power are abroad. As you tuck
into lunch and dinner today, please spare
a thought for this band. They are
currently playing a series of concerts
across North America, a situation that
puts them far from loved ones and their
usual dietary regime.
In
these distant lands, young men find
themselves confronted with such fare as
the Po Boy Sandwich, as sold by the Popeye
Fried Chicken concession at the Walt
Whitman truck stop in New Jersey. They are
also expected to select coleslaw and pasta
salad from what one restaurant billed as
The Toss Bar. The band may even find
themselves tempted to bite into a Svenhard
Breakfast Claw, a delicious sweet pastry
full with corn syrup, baking soda and
niacin.
These
are long days composed of electrifying
rock concerts, long road journeys and
transportation by civil airliner. The
latter, at least, will provide a selection
of condiment sachets for BSP man Eamon to
add to his ever-growing salt-and-pepper
collection. His favourite to date was
acquired in Sweden. The salt is printed
with the following thoughts: The colour of
snow, the taste of tears, the enormity of
oceans. The pepper carries even more
enigmatic mediation: Pepper has been
called The Gift Of The East, though gift
means poison in Swedish, don't let that
put you off.
But
enough of this culinary detail. British
Sea Power have been playing in America and
they have been playing well. The band's
first show of this American tour took
place at New York's Bowery Ballroom on 23
October, an evening in celebration of the
25th anniversary of the launch of Rough
Trade Records. Thus, the evening also
featured three other acts signed to Rough
Trade in America: The Kills, Adam Green
and The Fiery Furnaces. Before the show
the New York publication The Village Voice
was in no doubt as the relative merits of
the bill. As its preview noted: "British
Sea Power blow them all out of their water
with their aggressive mix of glam rock and
new wave."
Bold
words. But, on the night, the competition
was fierce indeed. As these four bands
played, it made all in the BSP
organisation proud to be signed to the
venerable and distinguished Rough Trade.
The Kills rolled out a compelling series
of dirty-dancing, rock-noir set-pieces, as
if choreographed by James Ellroy and
Christina Aguilera. Adam Green swayed
imperiously in front of a deft and precise
string quartet. However, we would like to
draw particular attention to The Fiery
Furnaces.
This
New York-based quartet revolve around the
brother-sister coupling Eleanor and
Matthew Friedberger. They are at once
obtuse and joyous, while Ms Eleanor is a
magnetic combination of Patti Smith and
teenage Bernard Butler given to singing
songs called We Got Back The Plague. Well
done Fiery Furnaces and well done Rough
Trade. As long as Curly Boy, Monsieur San
Quentin and Velazquez Jnr from The Strokes
sell the records that give us the funds
for fuel and promotional billiard cues, it
will all continue.
After
New York, BSP left for Seattle. They
arrived safely and things went well, as
the following on-the-spot report from a
good lady at BSP's US distribution company
makes clear:
"Saturday
night... Seattle... Relatively unknown
British band playing the Crocodile. Bigger
names The Strokes and Kings Of Leon
playing four miles down the road. The
Crocodile does not expect that big of a
crowd for BSP, so it sets the venue up for
a smaller configuration. By midnight, when
British Sea Power hits the stage, the
venue is a handful of people away from a
sellout! Almost 350 lucky folks were
treated to sensory overload... The first
thing that hit you when you walked in the
room was the smell of recently-cut
foliage. Kind of like that smell you get
at Christmas time. The entire stage was
filled with branches and leaves and birds
and... five oddly-clad men. BSP played
over an hour, with the crowd favourites
being Remember Me, Carrion, Apologies To
Insect Life and Blackout. Fans were
bobbing their heads, shouting out requests
and signing along to the songs. From my
vantage point, everyone was really into
the band and totally impressed with their
set. After the concert, I heard several
people say that was the best show they had
seen in a long time. I also heard other
people ask their friends, Do you want to
go to Portland tomorrow night to see them
again?"
Good
for BSP, good for Seattle. Interestingly,
BSP have also encountered The Kings Of
Leon on other terrain recently. For, while
BSP single Remember Me entered the UK
national single chart at number 30, the
Kings Of Leon single Wasted Time charted
at a more far-flung number 51. But, we do
not seek to concern ourselves with petty
triumphalism here. The Tennessee
youngsters were understandably distracted
by debate over new taxes on beef jerky and
secession from the Union. They also had to
make sure that the ironclad Merrimac is
ready to take them over for their UK dates
in December. More importantly, we would
like to extend our undiluted appreciation
to everyone who was good enough to
exchange hard-earned money for the BSP
single. Without you, we are nothing, etc.
Of
course, British Sea Power do not delude
themselves that the singles chart in 2003
in anything but charade and folderol. But,
the strange thing is that, even today,
people are still transfixed by the
primeval power of chart-placings. The fact
that BSP can now declare themselves Top 30
Hit-Makers gives us one more Mandate
Toward Marvel. We will not make rash
promises at this moment, but be assured
that this band stand steadfast in their
desire to repay every ounce of the faith
that people are investing in them. We
believe it is true what they say. Music
and myth are machines for the suspension
of time. The more music, myth and
machinery we have at our command, the more
we will suspend time and divert it from
its everyday destination.
More
information on British Sea Power in
America will follow shortly. On this side
of the ocean, let us look forward to the
dates the band will play in England and
Wales in November. Many have remarked on
the joy that the giant BSP bear Ursine
Ultra brought to the recent show at London
University Of London Union. Even now, we
are checking on the creature's
availability for future stage appearances.
With
thanks.
Yours,
Old Sarge
PS.
NOTE ON NIGGLING NUMBER OF NAMES. As the
observant Postcardged has pointed out on
the BSP Forum, there may be a slight
amount of duplication in the 2,003 names
chosen to adorn the sleeves on the
seven-inch vinyl of Remember Me. For
instance, Postcardged is certain that he
has detected duplication of the great
Dixie Dean. Such doubles are down to human
error and, as such, are welcomed at BSPHQ.
Our sleeves were not inscribed by drugged
children or underpaid people in Leamington
Spa, but by a team of six volunteers: two
moonlighting civil servants, one female
British MP (whose name must remain
secret), two members of the
London-Belfast-Gloucester group Florida
and Old Sarge. Further, over 400 of the
names were provided by oldest known BSP
aficionado, Ronald Of Natland. He was
monitored, but he is a wily fox and could
easily have slipped in two Winifred
Atwells. We would ask you to look at any
such duplication in a similar light to the
collectable errors that occur in the world
of postage stamps. Owners of dou! bles are
advised to ascertain which name is the
original and which is the error by meeting
up for a wrestling match.
Newsletter
No. 17
Vendemiaire CCXII
• New BSP single on sale
• Bitter Bums, pump organs and Randy
Vanwarmer
• A direct appeal to the collector
instinct that lies in all of us
As
you will be well aware, the Bittern, that
most enigmatic member of the heron family,
is currently returning to its wintering
grounds all across England. The bird also
known as Bog Blutter, Bitter Bum, Boom
Bird, Bottle Bump and Miredrum has
recently been seen flying sad and low over
the mournful Sussex expanses of Castle
Water and Pett Level. Observers of
seasonal ebb-and-flow will also be aware
that British Sea Power are now returning
to their own winter station: to the racks
of records stores across the land. On 20
October, British Sea Power release the
single Remember Me. It, too, comes with a
wealth of names.
Followers
of this band and their heart-warming story
will know that this British Sea Power
single comes with an array of excellent
new tracks and is available on CD1, CD2
and seven-inch vinyl. They will also be
conscious of the way this single has also
been turned into a remarkable programme of
public remembrance. The seven-inch comes
in an edition of 2,003, with each sleeve
hand-inscribed with a name fit for
remembrance. These names were put forward
by the band themselves, by the back-room
boys and girls and BSP HQ and, most
importantly, by YOU.
We
asked for 2,003 names that you thought
were right for this modest but graceful
consignment for posterity. Immediately,
names of friends, family and the famous
came came in from across the nation,
across the globe. Time and space prevent
us from giving a full list of these names
here. Suffice to say, as the list grew in
size, it built into a compelling document.
Soon it included Peter Ackroyd, Jenny
Agutter, Ambrose, Ron Atkinson, Boadicea,
Grandfather Bennett, Kate Bush, Paul
Banks, Dirk Bogarde, Andy Barding, Norman
Blake, Tom Baker, Joseph Beuys, Beth
Broomby, Carl Barat, Black Stalin, George
Bowling, Captain Haddock, Peter Cook,
Captain Birdseye, Donald Crowhurst,
Captain Riot, Cat Power and Wayne Coyne.
It also included Tom Verlaine, Tony
Visconti, Menno Visser, T Valentine, Eva
Vermandel, Randy Vanwarmer, Sir Barnes
Wallis, Meg White, Alan Warner, Wiglaf
King of Mercia, David Wrench, Pete Wiggs,
Katerina Winterova, Jackie Wilson, Tina
Weymouth, Kenneth Williams, Lord! Woolton,
Hank Wiliams, Gilbert White, Thornton
Wilder, Frank Worthington, Captain Webb,
Grandma Wood, Lev Yashin, Mog Yoshihara
and Bobby Zamora.
It
is fair to say that such a wonderful list
can't help but give the record buyer a
sense of anticipation and intrigue as they
hand over their 99p. For that is how much
the seven-inch vinyl should be selling
for. The CD1 and CD2 should be available
for £1.99 each. Well then, let us do
the sums. Given all but the most
innumerate shopkeeper, that will mean an
outlay of less than five pounds to secure
this single in all three formats. We
really would contend that this represents
a sound investment. Suddenly, you will
find yourself in possession of the latest
examples in a series of sleeve artwork
that has been pleased so many and been so
roundly praised by the renowned sleeve
designer Peter Saville. You will also find
yourself with a collection of additional
tracks miles removed from the B-side
flotsam you will find on some
records.
The
educated ear will find that the five
all-new and unreleased tracks spread
across the Remember Me formats amount to a
coherent and persuasive mini-album, a
mini-album where pastoral moods and
informed introspection complement the
anthemic bearing typical of this band.
Those
who have heard it played at recent British
Sea Power concerts have remarked on the
compositional quality of the song Salty
Water. Making uplifting reference to
superstition and the Peak District, it
sounds a little like Neil Young being told
to stop mumbling as he is directed toward
an invigorating hike along the Pennine
Way. Sung by Hamilton, Good Good Boys is
melodically persuasive latterday work
song, where our men advise you to come see
them now before they are worn down by
carrying too many heavy amplifiers. Moley
& Me is a delightful tale of weasels,
mudflats and wistfulness, like a less
moonstruck Syd Barrett. The Smallest
Church In Sussex makes sense of its name
with the sound of Hamilton playing the
ancient pump organ in The Church Of The
Good Shepherd in Lullington, East Sussex.
However, vinyl B-side The Scottish
Wildlife Experience rudely ends the rustic
idyll. It sounds like Happy Mondays doing
Siouxsie & The Banshees and will also
be known to concert-goers as the live
favourite Bass Rock.
So,
pick up your purse and shout Gotta get em
all. Then your own and the band's
contentment will also be complete. And, as
you return to your abode armed with art
fit for heroes, what better than to spread
your own enlightenment to the wider world.
That's right. Deluge the DJ in his or her
bunker and tell them why they would be a
fool not to play Remember Me. Here they
are. Now there will be no hiding.
zane@bbc.co.uk jo.whiley@bbc.co.uk
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