Tripping Cherubs

CD arrived - go and buy it!

2007-10-10T20:36:00.000+01:00

Here's a box of Pop Songs for the Disenchanted - lucky disenchanted.

Pop Songs for the Disenchanted released!

2007-10-03T00:03:00.000+01:00

The album is finally available. You can buy it online for £8 here.
I'm really pleased to see it out. Apologies for getting so distracted over recent months... writing new material and recording it basically. Also amazing myself at how much there is to do in deciding who to send review copies to etc.
It's been difficult deciding how to describe it, both on this site and in the press release: I just want people to hear it and decide what's important from listening. However it seems it's important to create a catchy picture of what it's all about to encourage people to open the wrapping.
I've taken a big risk in not letting anyone else listen to this before realease - I just didn't want people saying 'you should change the track order' or 'turn the drums down' or 'I like that track, you should've put it first' etc. This album is pure me - it's what it needed to be to satisfy me. I think its really brilliant: great songs and a coherent vision.
So I'm happy! That makes a change :-)

It really is official

2007-08-21T11:00:00.000+01:00

Album's gone to the pressing plant, artwork design is done, promo materials have been designed and ordered and I've even done all the really tedious stuff like register the songs with PRS, etc.
Now I'm working on the Media Pack - what the hell can I write? It's all in the music. I don't want to spell things out and demystify stuff but I know I've got to grab people's attention and give them a story. There are plenty of stories, but it's a question of selecting one or two and being measured and sensational at the same time. I'm no good at that. SDo if you're a reviewer and you get my media pack know I meant well!

Expect October 1st release

2007-08-18T21:23:00.000+01:00

It's happening. For God sake it's good and Pop Songs for the Disenchanted has got to come out. I've actually had a little space to tweak a couple of things and I've realised this just has to happen. Album two and three are well under way and so I'm faced with working up a lot of drums at the moment - all of a sudden a little admin on the record release seems like an easy option. It's just dotting the last 'i's and crossing the last 't' or two and then you can have it.
If you're interested in getting an early copy then email me and info 'at' tripping-cherubs.com

Update

2007-03-24T22:07:00.000Z

To be honest this is typical me. Finish something and move onto the next thing.
Well you might say the album isn't finished because it isn't out. And you might be right but you don't just stop writing and recording songs because you've got an album to release.
In short I'm more interested in what's next than doing the final mile and releasing the album.
OK, OK. It's got to happen, but first a bit of an update on what's been happening since I last posted in... June!!! I can't believe it's that long.
Musically:

I've just been writing and recording more Tripping Cherubs stuff,
I've been doing The Sinister Cleaners' album artwork (it's just gone on and on and on and on)
I've spent years of my life putting a database of reviewers together so I know where to send it (it used to just be: the NME, Sounds, Melody Maker and John Peel. But now every suburb has a radio station, fanzine, website, student paper, you name it...)
I've spent all my money on The Sinister Cleaners album (there's other people in that band so there is some moral obligation)
I've just been so busy working (yes, I have another life or two)
I went into Second Life and never came out.

So, there are the excuses for the fact that The Tripping Cherubs album is not in the shops.
Having done the Cleaners' album I got all depressed thinking what a pointless exercise and waste of money it all is. It's good fun writing and recording the stuff and even doing the artwork, but what's it all mean.
What I'd really like to do is just sell it as a download but then it would be good to get it in the hands of some reviewers and disc jockeys.
I think I may just put this album up online somewhere.
Anyway, enough of that. I need to sort some drums out on a few new recordings.

Tenu-icity - where am I headed with this?!

2006-06-24T13:39:00.000+01:00

Tenu-icity (actually 'tenuity)'- I just think it's kind of weird.
What do people from big countries like the USA think when, through no fault of my own, I have tenuous connections? They must think that the UK is a very, very, very small place (though of course we are 58,789,194 in total (I just checked and I'm shocked to see that the population has increased by nearly 3 million since I last checked... and that figure is already 5 years old!).
Or do people from big countries have tenuous connections too?
Maybe the UK is very, very, very samll - and that's the point. I don't know how likely it is that I should know people that you know or that you/we have heard of.
And to be honest I've never really given this much thought and I'm generally not interested in 'celebrity' etc. I don't buy Hello magazine and can't understand why people do. I don't go out much for Gods sake! It shows, I know.
This thread is developing a life of its own (albeit maladjusted) and I think an early death could be on the cards. (Though 'tenous' means 'long and thin' as well as 'having little substance' so it may go on for a long time).

Tenu-icity: people that drive past my house (1)

2006-06-24T13:35:00.000+01:00

I live in Sheffield (UK) these days. Occasionally Jarvis Cocker (Pulp) drives past my house, though I haven't seen him for a year or so. He drives (drove?) a funny little Nisan people carrier thing. He and this vehicle appeared in a Guardian magazine article a couple of years ago.

More scope for tenu-icity

2006-06-24T13:26:00.000+01:00

I could start to list all the bands I've supported!
No, no!
But it was bizarre seeing Pete Burns in Big Brother (not that I watched it, more that I saw his face in the tabloids of the people that I commute with). Colenso Parade (mentioned in the previous post) supported Dead or Alive at Caesar's (? - it had many names over time, like most night clubs) night club on Manningham Lane in Bradford in about 1982 (?). If I remember correctly, DoA had one hit and it was at that time that we played with them.
But it was weird to see how distorted he had got over time (physically - as I say I didn't watch so I can't comment on how distorted his personality may have become).

Tenuous Connections - The Fall

2006-06-24T12:53:00.000+01:00

The Fall aren't on my map. They probably could be or should be but I don't know where the connections may be until someone tells me.
Haven't The Fall had about 40 members? Given they're a northern band and I have Manchester connections on the map somewhere there's bound to be one.
There is one connection I know about, but 'tenuous' is too strong a word. Carl Burns (Fall drummer) once jammed with my band Emergency (later re-named Victim) when the Fall came over to Belfast in 1978/79 (?) at the time 'Bingo Masters Breakout' and 'Live At The Witch Trials' were released. This was in the notorious Harp Bar where we played fairly regularly. It's the place where our lead singer, Joe Zero, nearly got shot by the IRA for wearing a paratroopers cap on stage until the audience carried him to safety. Ahh memories.
Back to The Fall and Carl Burns. As an inexperienced punk musician at the time I remember the feeling of playing with 'a real drummer' - it was likely someone had put a different kind of engine oil into us. I suppose we jammed for no more than 5 or 10 minutes.
We played two gigs on consecutive nights and they stayed at my (mum's) house. Mid-set Mark E. Smith decided it would be a good idea to have a post-gig party and invited the whole audience back. The house was trashed. The RUC (police in armoured landrovers) were called and I was in trouble. Stairs, carpets, walls, beds, kitchen... the scene of devastation is re-emerging.
Anyway, they invited us back to Manchester to play at a venue called (I think) The Factory. All the Manchester names of the day were there. Tony Wilson was running the club, Jilted John was compere, Howard Devoto was in the audience. We had a mixing desk sound system too! We'd never had a proper PA!
We stayed on Carl Burns' floor and I seem to remember his dog crapped in my shoe.
Subsequently I've been told that Echo and the Bunnymen formed that weekend in his flat. Now I think this is pushing it and I'm not sure about the dates.
Strange thing is, if this is true, there's a kind of neat 'tenous tenous' connection because Oscar, the lead singer, of f-Stop and Colenso Parade from my map sounded like (based himselfon?) Ian McCullough. And I came across a statement somewhere about Colenso Parade while searching out info for the map, that he had been approached to replace McCullough though declined.

Barren

2006-06-24T12:39:00.000+01:00

Work, world cup, work, world cup... knackered, barren idea-wise.
OK - let's try a few real sentences...
I'm afraid it's excuses. Work sometimes just takes me over. I've got a great job and when it's going really well there's no room or energy for anything else. This is dangerous, because I have a history of falling off highs (work, music, art, etc) into dangerous dismal pits where I lie exhausted and disspirited.
So now certain things (no work details shall sully this blog) are delivered I'm attempting to redress the work-life balance before I keel over and plummet.
So I know it's great news that I haven't progressed with the music because I'm keeping my sanity in check, but the record-buying public (as opposed to other publics?) may wonder what's going on.
Music-wise: sometimes the songs pour out of me and sometimes it feels like there's no more left. Well, it's been barren. I've had a couple of musical bits but the words just seem too forced - they're not flowing. Until today. When I write it's usually very quick. I get a song to 95% very quickly and then over a period of time (1 hour to 10 years or longer) the remaining 5% gets sorted. And then I can set about recording and arranging them.
So I've got two to 95% this morning. I could tell you what they're called and what they're about but that would defeat the object - the songs do the telling. Furthermore telling you what they're about would only tell you about the words. The music's about something too - abstract things: "Ups", "Crashes", "Drones" and other things that don't really have words.
I should continue the tenuous connections thread too. I did have a simple thought on this, which will follow...

Hi

2006-05-23T00:17:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to say "Hi." Things are going a bit slow with the Tripping Cherubs release as life gets in the way for a while. However, just got quote for CD production so hopefully I'll find time to give the OK and send whatever needs to be sent to the pressing plant soon.
Setting up a PayPal account too at the moment so that people can buy the CD directly from this site.
Have you noticed I've added a couple of tracks under 'Listen' and all of the lyrics to songs on the album?
When I get time I'll put together the next edition of Tenuous Connections.

Tenous Connections - The Undertones

2006-04-30T11:31:00.000+01:00

I finally got round to mapping out the 'connections', my music 'family tree', or as I prefer to call it, 'my tenous connections' - let's be clear about this. There are famous people on the same chart as me, but I have not known all of them. Indeed some are there because I am not there, i.e. I left a band and then they came along. On the other hand I have known 'famous' people! And people who are not on this chart. And I'm sort of amused to think someone reading this might make some more tenous connections for me.

I actually came across another today - and this isn't on the map. I found a band called The Hit Parade who appear to have a drummer called Matt Moffat, a bassist called Raymond Watts and a guitarist called Julian Henry. I couldn't find any more info on this lot, but the very first band I was in had a drummer called Matt Moffat and a great pianist called Mike Watts (I won't say the name of the band... we were very young). I was 'playing' saxophone at the time. A guy called Julian Henry was around (this was a school situation) in a band called 'First of the Last' with Andy McAlpine and John Jacobs. Is this the same Julian Henry who now writes for the Guardian? But this band I found on MySpace must be the sons of the people I knew - surely. I'm confused. There is a mention of the school we were at on their MySpace site. Yes, confused. Anyway, let's move on to look at today's tenous connection - The Undertones.

The reason for producing the map is blatant publicity seeking with the forthcoming release of the Tripping Cherubs album. Though to be fair it only recently occured to me that there were connections, or rather how many.

The most tenuous of all is The Undertones probably. Here's the short story (as I remember it). I was working in Good Vibrations (indie record shop in Belfast's Great Victoria Street) on a voluntary basis putting covers on the singles that Terri Hooley was releasing for bands like Rudi, Protex Blue, Victim, etc in about 1978. One day he was very excited and said he'd got a tape from a band in Derry that he thought was amazing (Derry was another planet to people like us in Belfast).

At the time I was 'running' a fanzine called '9 to 5' and was playing bass in my first real band (The Androids - real: we played gigs).

Terri said, "Do you fancy interviewing them? They're coming down on Sunday." I said "Yes."

When Sunday came there was John O'Neil (later of That Petrol Emotion - one of the greatest bands ever, who were on the Pink label. I did some work for Pink at one stage, but that's quite a separate tenuous conection, and not on the map). Fergal Sharkey was also there. Later Fergal, of course, confounded the pop industry by having a solo hit or two as a glamour star of the '80s!

I can't remember much about the interview because I'm sure I asked dumb questions. Another 'hack' was there. A guy from my school called Andy something who had a fanzine called 'No Fun' - this Andy something also became famous briefly - and doesn't appear on my map. When/if I remember his name I'll post it here. He was a Dylan-type of Northern Irish singer songwriter doing OK in the '90s I think. Found it: Andy White. Looks like he's still at it.

So, The Undertone's first ever interview appeared in edition 2 of my fanzine 9 to 5 (as noted in the book "It makes you want to Spit! - an Alternative Ulster 1977-1982 - the definitive guide to punk in N. Ireland" by Sean O'Neill and Guy Trelford, published by Reekus. p.81). (The ref is for those who think I'm making all this up!)

A slight change of scene in this story... In the Belfast scene at the time we all knew everyone. A lot has been written about that time in Belfast (and at least one more book is promissed according to communication with Alex Og this month) and it all, rightly, focussed on the collective spirit. So in this atmosphere it did not seem that odd when one of The Idiots (and I can't remember which one of this good-time punk band it was) asked me if I wanted to hear the song they'd just recorded for Good Vibes. Sure. To be honest The Idiots was a perfect name for this lot. They were musically the classic 'pick up an instrument and play' punk band. It may have been Dee Wilson or Wee Gordy Owen. Anyway, rather than pulling out a Walkman (no chance even if they were invented by then) we walked round to Wizard Studios in the centre of Belfast and he asked the engineer if he would play their song! Which he did. He then asked me what I thought and whether he thought it needed a guitar solo in the middle. I thought it sounded great and I wasn't sure about the 'solo' - us punks didn't do solos did we?

Anyway before I knew it he'd asked the engineer if he could borrow a guitar. A Fender Strat was handed over (I'd never touched a Fender before!) and he said "Will you put a solo on it then?" Err, well I'll have to learn something is what I was thinking. Obviously that wasn't an option. "OK". Solo done. One take. "See you..." I don't think I, or The Idiots, ever mentioned it again. Anyway, I felt so guilty. I was a bass player in a punk band, not a guitar hero. It was their single and I'd gatecrashed their moment of glory. So Idiots, if you ever read this, apologies. It wasn't my idea, but actually: what a great track!

Anyway, the track came out on a 4 track compilation EP called 'Battle of the Bands' on Good Vibes featuring Rudi, The Outcasts, Spider, and 'Parents' by The Idiots. The cover was a typical Good Vibes folded A3 arrangement featuring a reproduction of my Undertones interview.

------------------------------

In writing this I have realised that The Undertones didn't have a track on the EP (though they were meant to, but they signed to Sire at about that time on the back of Teenage Kicks coming out on Good Vibes just beforehand. I folded many a cover for that.

This Tenous Connections thing also serves to remind me: it has taken many bands to leave me behind in order to make a name for themselves - bugger. Let's not dwell on that. Let's just say it's more coincidence...

Next installment will examine another piece of the puzzle I expect, but all of a sudden I feel like I should write a song about coincidence and the people I have known... and who have known me.

Minimal songs

2006-04-23T23:21:00.000+01:00

I’ve got bored with all the admin so I actually picked up the guitar today. I put together the simplest of songs, but that’s the way I like it. Musically it’s very close to other chord sequences I’ve put together and other rhythms and other dynamics. The tune is repetitive and simple. It has no chorus. Just an intro, a verse (that’s like the intro, but slightly different) and a linking bit.

So it doesn’t sound like much of a song. Not a lot of variety. But it’s this hypnotic, simplicity that really grabs me. Though it was just acoustic and vocal I can hear the dynamics. I can see how the song will grow as other instruments come in. Even the lyrics are repetitive. It worries me!

Either I’m really under some strange delusion or I have rediscovered the wonders of minimalistic song writing or… well anyway we’ll see.

The song’s about what do people see when they see me. Even when I see me I jump to conclusions or don’t recognise the person in the mirror. It’s like when you talk into a tape recorder and don’t fully recognise the voice. You don’t sound like you think you do.

Anyway, no big deal of a song – again it’s minimal.

Still waiting for the connections?

2006-04-23T22:44:00.000+01:00

After the last post I started to map out the family tree but got distracted following an email conversation with a guy called Alex who wanted some information about a previous existence: Belfast 1978 and the punk scene that woke that place out of its troublesome complacency for a while. Specifically Alex was interested in a band I was in then called The Androids. My initial reaction was: 'What?! I can't remember anything about that!' but then memories started to emerge.

Anyway no more of that here - it will appear in his book.

This is the third book I've contributed to in the last year about bands that I've been involved with, but the first about The Androids!

The last message from Alex referred to the demo tape I'd mentioned and he said it might be worth looking at options for releasing it. I couldn't remember whether I had the master tape and had a look - no. But then I thought it's possibly still on a shelf at Downtown Radio in Newtownards where we recorded it. I emailed them and haven't heard back, but it would be nice to think I could get it. As Alex suggested I think there'd be a fair amount of interest amongst the people who were around at that time.

So the family tree-ing sort of got side-tracked, but I'll get back to it.

Done but not dusted

2006-04-17T19:34:00.000+01:00

The album is finally totally recorded and mastered. That's the good news. So let's release it - now! Well, I'm discoverring it's not that simple!
OK, so I knew what was coming, but I had to get the music done, if not dusted.
Dusting - this sounds like an entry for my other band, The Sinister Cleaners, but more on that later.
Dusting - yes, this is the bit where you have do all the other stuff like get the CD pressed, cover designed, budget identified (!), and promo stuff produced and decide who's going to get the promo stuff and how.
It's the last bit of this I've been putting some hours into recently and, until now, I hadn't given it too much thought at all. In the process I've realised that there's a hell of a lot of people releasing stuff (great) and a hell of a lot of channels for reviewing and playing stuff (great), but no John Peel (terrible), and no core music press (great and terrible). The last time I was involved in releasing stuff it was fairly straight forward to get UK national airplay (John Peel on BBC Radio 1 would always play everything a few times - and we got the royalty cheques to prove it) and if you sent enough copies to the NME, Sounds and Melody Maker, and one or two to the local press, you'd be sure to end up with a fair amount of attention and even some notoriety.
As I say, things have changed. We have the NME still, but it seems more like Smash Hits to me!
There are still interesting programmes on the BBC, but God knows how you get them to take notice. I'm going to find out I suppose.
Anyway, in the midst of all this, I've realised that I'm going to have to find something that catches the eye of one or two people. And I've found it!
I am related (musically) to The Smiths, The Wedding Present, The House of Love and The Undertones. I don't just mean influences - I mean I can draw lines that show I am at the centre of a Pete Frame type Rock Family Tree. And I will do this soon to prove it.
Now, before you start thinking this guy is just name dropping, look at it from my point of view. I'm desparate to find something that will vaguely raise the interest of one or two people who might then actually listen to what I'm doing.
Well, I think I'll leave it there for the moment as it's Peter Kay night on Channel 4 tonight - this is the only television I would ever watch. And I'm really hoping I can find a family tree connection to Peter Kay to add to my family tree, so I've got to go now. But I'll pick up this story soon!

Final touches

2006-04-09T21:07:00.000+01:00

I think the album is ready except for a final editing on the final track. This will happen this evening all being well.
The final recording really happened in about February though the last six weeks or so has been a series of revisits to make slight adjustments to the odd vocal here and there and tweaks to the levels in one or two of the mixes.
I've had about five attempts at mastering it. After a while your ears become immune to sensible decision making. So I left it alone for a few weeks.
I put it on my iPod this morning and went for a walk. Today was the first time I heard it from start to finish without interuption. I've usually listened back to it whilst out and about and every single time I've bumped into someone. Even if you don't talk your concentration is interupted. If it's not people then it's traffic or some other background noise.
I actually think I've recorded a classic album as in 'Classic'. What do I mean? I mean if you asked me to find my perfect album this would be it. That shouldn't be so surprising you might think. But when I look back at all the bands I've been in before and the various influences (internal, but mostly external) it is actually very hard to maintain an idea of pure vision. Well, I've done it on this. This is my perfect album.
As such it means I really don't give a damn about reviews or what people think. This is all I wanted to do.
However, if I don't give a damn about what people think then why release it? Dangerous thinking. I suppose I have to say I hope other people like it. I want other people to like it. But if they don't I am happy enough to accept that my perfect vision is just that - MY perfect vision.

New album on its way

2006-03-26T23:04:00.000+01:00

'Pop Songs for the Disenechanted', the new CD from The Tripping Cherubs is nearing completion and is heading for a May or June release.