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EURO LOSS OF PERIPHERAL VISION |
posted by jim on 14/05/07
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He’s going and they’re back . Ten years ago I remember sitting up all night watching the general election on a tour bus, parked outside a Stoke venue after a Carter gig. Even though I’d voted Liberal because I didn’t like Tony Blair, it still felt good to watch the government I hated squirming. Now I don’t honestly know how I feel. Blair’s resigned. Gordon Brown, texture like sun, will probably be the next prime minister. Then what happens? David Cameron? It’s all become so depressingly predictable. Like the Eurovision Song Contest. I doubt the United Kingdom will ever win that again. Not even if Morrissey does sing our entry. It would be good to have a song in the competition though, that we could all feel disgusted and put upon as a nation when it doesn’t get many points from the Eastern Europeans, the Balkans and Scandinavians. Incidentally, a weird thing happened while I was watching Scooch perform their song. I don’t know if it was their Union Jack visuals or the Easy Jet clothes, or perhaps because I’d just sat through an hour and a half of Euro pop, but I suddenly got this awful headache when Scooch were on. And these shapes and colours appeared in front of my eyes, like I’d looked straight at the sun. I honestly thought I was going blind. The shapes and colours cleared after about fifteen minutes but I’ve still got the headache today.
I’ve been off the chocolate. Haven’t hardly eaten any branded stuff other than Fair Trade chocolate, which is too expensive and too hard to get hold of to eat all that often. It’s good – or rather, bad – for my expanding waistline as well as my conscience. And it’s all because of Daniel Bedingfield. oops sorry I saw him on TV a few weeks back talking about how the manufacture of most chocolate involves child slavery. From that Bedingfiled moment on I’ve hardly eaten any. And we used to get through a fair bit in our house. I in particular have always considered it my duty to try out all new brands of chocolate and in particular the mongrel bars like orange Kit Kats and white chocolate flakes. It’s been a bit of a nightmare recently, having to resist the lure of the new Aero Bubbles or Mars Planets, which they’re really pushing (like heroin for me) on the telly at the moment.
It’s usually around this point that someone will point out why Fair Trade is such a misguided concept but we can’t all be perfect. I don’t eat meat, haven’t done for twenty five years but I do own a pair of leather monkey boots and some cherry red Doc Martens too. We all draw our line where we choose to draw it.
I’ve said it many times before but my next album is the dogs naughty bits. It’s taken me longer than anything I’ve ever done before to complete. And it’s still not quite done. But I’m really looking forward to people hearing it and hopefully liking it. The wait between now and the album’s release will probably be a fairly long one. Until the winter I think.
My next gig is in Richmond Library. I’m playing some songs and reading something fictional. Most likely a bit from this story I’ve written. I had a practice read today and kept getting tongue tied. I don’t know how authors ever make it all the way through the recording of an audio book. It would take me about a year.
I’m also writing some sleevenotes for a Carter anthology that EMI will be releasing to coincide with the October and November shows. We prefer to be involved, rather than it coming out unexpectedly stuck to the front of the Mail on Sunday
Mmm Aeros.
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A SECOND BITE OF THE CHERRY |
posted by jim on 22/04/07
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I seem to have made a mockery of Andy Warhol's quarter of an hour fame theory by getting a bonus ten minutes. Somehow I'm not the same person I was the day before we announced the Carter reunion show. My girlfriend's sister asked me what it was like to be famous again. There was a nice piece in Time Out that mentioned Carter without the usual snide bracketed insult. I went to Athens for a solo acoustic gig and a big Greek promoter showed up. He was hoping to get a Carter show booked in Athens. When I got home there was another Carter gig offer amongst my emails, I expect more to follow. I feel guilty for turning them down. When I was drunk in Athens, for a brief cocktail and adrenalin fueled moment I started to imagine getting on a big bus and going to Barcelona and Zagreb, to Berlin and Vienna and all those exotic places where Carter were well received.
I was reading the Sunday papers today and when I saw the ads for gigs by Devo and other names from the past, I was almost disappointed that the Carter gig had sold out so fast. We'd saved a load of cash by canceling all the intended advertising that we didn't need anymore. But then I thought that, aside from us and the audience, the world might never know we'd got back together at all. I suppose I thought I might have been able to use the oxygen of publicity to breathe life into my solo career and get me and my new album onto Jools Holland and the Mercury Music Prize podium. And maybe even get a book publishing deal too. But now nobody is going to believe me. Maybe we should take out a big ad in The Observer with the words SOLD OUT slapped across it.
I'm a natural worrier. I worry that after this is all over and everything goes back to normal, will it? Will it go back to normal? Were people coming to my solo gigs because they knew that one day I might do the Carter songs properly? Has the thrill of the chase now gone? What happens next? I know the logical thing to do is to play my summer festivals, finish recording my album, and look forward to a great winter and one maybe two legendary Carter gigs. I should just try and enjoy the ride. And make sure I get off the ride before it reaches the latter pages of my Carter autobiography. And as anyone who's read it knows, make sure I say no to any offers of a gig in Croydon.
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THE LOST ART OF KEEPING A SECRET |
posted by jim on 8/04/07
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So, the secret is out
Carter are doing a gig at Brixton Academy on November 2nd. I can now stop telling everybody.
Keeping secrets has never been one of my strengths. I like a bit of a gossip. I like to be the first to tell people things they don’t know. I talk behind people’s backs. I’m prone to exaggeration. I should work behind the bar of a Rovers Return style pub or read the news on the BBC.
Other people in my family aren’t so good at keeping secrets either. When I was in Devon the other week, I nipped into the pub where my nephew Ryan works. While I was there I told him about the strong likelihood of the Carter gig happening and asked him to not tell anyone about it. The next day I went back to the pub and my nephew introduced me to a bloke at the bar who used to be a Carter fan. I said hello and the bloke at the bar said something like, ‘I saw Carter play a few times in Exeter. Ryan told me you’re doing a reunion gig in London in November.’
Now the gig has been officially announced I can concentrate on worrying about how successful it will be. Pretty much as soon as we agreed to play those four Carter songs for Wiz at the Islington Academy in March, my bad gig dreams – as featured in my split your sides Carter book – began. Since then I’ve continued to dream that I’m about to go onstage without any trousers. Or I’ll already be onstage and I can’t remember any of the words to the songs that we’re performing out of tune. Oh, and loads of other strange gig and pre-gig disasters.
This month’s recommendations from me.
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THE SHERBET FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH |
posted by jim on 29/03/07
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I’ve been continuing with the Michael Palinesque recording sessions for my new album. Today I’m in South London doing a spot of singing, competing with my neighbours shouting and banging. At least it’s raining today so they can’t get out their power tools. Tomorrow I’m back down at the big studio in Hampshire doing backing vocals and glockenspiels and all that kind of caper.
I’ve also just back from Cornwall, where I was recording a couple of tracks with the Zebs Choir. We were recording at the Zebs Music Project with Kev and Tim – formerly of the Family Cat – engineering and organising and making me feel welcome.
12 teenagers showed up in Truro on the Sunday to sing and clap and bang stuff. The results are fantastic. The recordings won’t be released for a while, so in the meantime I recommend you go to this link and buy a copy of the Zebs compilation album. It’s only a five spot plus postage and will help support a project that is much needed in these youth hating times.
On the way to Cornwall I went to see my sister in Devon. Much of my time there was spent with my young nephew, practicing Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ for an audition he had coming up for a part in a musical. I’ll let you know if gets it.
These four days spent with the young, talented and enthusiastic has had a positive effect on my cynical old fart’s mind.
I just wanted to tell someone, hope that's okay.
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GIG BINGE |
posted by jim on 17/03/07
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When I was on the Roundtable singles review radio programme recently, I stated that my dream gig would be Bright Eyes having a wee on a tin roof while Arcade Fire had a pooh next to them/him. This week my dream gig came true. I suppose it was more of a dream two day festival, as I saw Arcade Fire take their pooh at the Brixton Academy on the Thursday and Bright Eyes weeing on a tin roof the day after. Two gigs in one week is a big step-up in my normal yearly gig intake, which usually consists of some Abdoujaparov and idou gigs and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds if they’re on that year.
Arcade Fire,
the first leg of my gig binge was amazing. There were elements to the whole band and audience atmos that reminded me of old Carter gigs. Something of the Nuremberg rally about it (in the nicest possible way), with everyone singing along to the woohs and oohs with their hands aloft etc. The noise that the band make is pretty incredible, there were moments when I had goosebumps running up and down my spine and then the band would move up another notch in intensity, as though they’d discovered another more major than the last one key and I’d get goosebumps on my goosebumps.
Day two was Bright Eyes, I’m his number one fan, someone should hit me with the pig. Conor Oberst is a weird performer, he looks a bit like a lost child at times. I have the feeling I wouldn’t want to meet him in case I didn’t like him. The difference between the gig and the Arcade Fire one was the way the audience – with the exception of the people at the bar at the back of the venue – were completely silent during the songs, listening to the lyrics perhaps. Brilliant lyrics by the way. There was no clapping or singing along during the songs. It was like we were there to listen. The new album is going to be stuck in my CD player for a long time I suspect.
The latest line up band reminded me of Stillwater from the film Almost Famous, The only bad points of the evening were the couple in front of me who spent most of the night looking at their mobile phones. Surely it would have been cheaper and easier to stay at home and put a record on and look at their phones in comfort. Second gripe would be the way Koko put on a club as early as possible after the gig, so that as everyone is leaving the Bright Eyes gig the NME clubbers were coming in at the same time. Causing a gridlock on the tight staircases and stupid tunnels, that surely was against some sort of Camden Council byelaw. I thought of cattle as I squeezed my way out of the venue. And don’t even get me started on the bus ride(s) home. If London’s buses actually went to where they’re supposed to go to maybe we wouldn’t all take our cars everywhere.
I must go and lie down now, I think I've overdone it.
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THE 90s REVIVAL |
posted by jim on 5/03/07
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So. Firstly, I’ve been in what I like to refer to as the big recording studio. I’m recording various parts of my new album in different locations. Some stuff at home, some in Truro with fifteen teenagers and a couple of ex members of the Family Cat, and last week we put down some drums. Bass and guitars, some trumpet, trombone, saxophone, flute, Chris T-T piano and some fine Mr Spoons home cooking in the big studio. It was a pretty full on session. Not a lot of time to lounge around and think about things, just had to knuckle down to the job. We go back later in the month to hopefully finish the recording. It’s unclear what it’ll all end up sounding like but my first impressions are that it’s going to be an extraordinary record. Once again I expect to win the Mercury Music Prize and get that long overdue Ivor Novello.
Last night it was the 4 For Wiz gig at the Islington Academy. Me and Les had misled people to believe that we’d be playing an acoustic set. That was the original plan, but one thing led to another and we decided to go for the full on Carter experience – for four songs anyway. We didn’t tell anyone though as we didn’t want to take away from what the night was about by making it into a Carter reunion gig. I really enjoyed the evening. Backstage it was like Live Aid. Very bizarre. For old times sake I managed to get drunk enough after the gig to fall over, just like I used to do in those early nineteen nineties.
At least eleven thousand charity quids were raised from the gig and more to come from merchandise and stuff, good work.
Today started badly when I awoke to find we were completely out of Alker Seltzer.
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locked in with Jim: chris t-t's guest blog |
posted by jim on 27/02/07
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Hello friends of Jim (to be renamed Snoop Bob after you hear some of his insane new tunes). Hope you're well and looking forward to the islington academy thing.
So. We're taping the new JB opus 'Egg' in a live-in studio in the wilds of Hampshire. It used to be one of those huge brick oast-houses, so the drum sound is immense but so are the spiders.
This record is well dark, much bleaker than 'School', though as I type this James is saying "well, what the fuck do you know, it's a pop album."
So far we've done all the drums and bass and some piano. After the drum session the drummer ate three portions of trifle and Mr Spoons had to drive him to the station with a sickbag in his lap.
Today was brass section day, with the 3 players from the 'School' orchestra down, so we've spent the afternoon arranging funky stabs and editing psychedelic sax solos over slow jazz-rock. Seriously, you won't believe this record - it's even got flute wobbles on it.
Mr Spoons is celebrity chef for the week. Currently he's wearing an apron covered in blood, after trying to finger out low-fat custard from a tin and ripping himself open on the edge. He's been cooking his nuts off - even made paneer cheese from scratch last night by doing something disgusting to a bucket of milk, then hanging the results in a nappy overnight. It tasted yummy in the curry. He also made an outstanding butternut squash soup for lunch. I agree with Splinkery about marrying him.
I've struggled a bit with the piano playing and my thumb hurts like I hit it with a hammer. Luckily it's not ruined anything yet - and you can tell these recordings are going well because Jim just takes the piss out of everyone, instead of sulking in the corner when I play wrong notes. It's a real piano, which is mint.
Also we got up early this morning to have a go on the drums before the session, which I don't think Neil was that pleased about.
Nice one, take care of yourselves.
Chris xx
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Chewing it for The Kids |
posted by jim on 24/02/07
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I’ve been recording various bits and pieces for my next album. Mostly in my home studio, the inappropriately grandly titled Stereoworld. I also spent a day with Jon Clayton in his studio in Brixton, recording some of the more acoustic songs and some lovely cello. Next week I go into the place where we recorded the ‘School’ album. It’s in the countryside, and it’ll be good to get out of London. I would say that it will also be good to get away from all the guns. But when we were recording ‘School’ I heard more gunfire than I have in darkest, scariest Lambeth. I think it was probably some kind of pigeon shoot-em-up, hopefully only the clay kind.
I’ve spent longer getting this LP together than I have on most of my other solo albums. Mainly because I couldn’t get the time in the studio. I’ve had to be more patient. Consequently the songs and their arrangements have changed a fair bit since I wrote some of them, and hopefully I’ll end up with a better finished album as a result. I want to make it like it’s the last one I ever will make. Not because it is, but because it should sound like that don’t you think.
To stretch the multi studio approach I should be going down to Cornwall to record some stuff with the Zebs Choir. The Zebs Choir appear at the end of a great compilation album ‘The Sound Of Young Cornwall’, put together by the Zebs youth project in Truro. I discovered them through an old friend of mine Kev Downing. He was the drummer with the Family Cat and him and Tim (Fam Cat guitarist) run the project. Read more about it here and buy the album. A lot of my music friends seem to have ended up working with kids and music. Carter’s manager Adrian does so in Devon and James from EMF works with kids in Bradford. Putting something back, while I still bang away selfishly on my own career struggle.
One of the fantastic things about this next studio session is that Mr Spoons will come down, like he did last time, to cook. Spoons loves cooking, almost as much as he loves Crystal Palace football club and Dr Who. This time he’s even sent me a menu in advance, check this out:
(For 6)
Mon Lunch: Assorted toasties
Mon Dinner: Arrabiata Pasta, with salad & garlic bread etc. & Pud (probably a Trifle)
(For 8)
Tue Lunch: Butternut squash or Broccoli Soup + Crusty bread
Tues Eve: Curry night + Sticky Toffee pud.
(for 6)
Weds Lunch: Thai-spiced Vegetable Broth with noodles.
(Weds Eve: Eating out)
(for 6)
Thurs Lunch: Chickpea Curry & wraps
Thurs eve?: Vege Sausage & Mash with Yorkies & Rosemary scented onion gravy + Cake for pud.
When all this food is eaten and we leave the studio, I’ll be playing some Carter songs with Fruitbat at the Islington Academy along with Neds Atomic Dustbin and members of Senseless Things, Therapy etc at a tribute gig for Wiz from Mega City Four, who sadly passed away last year. It should be an interesting backstage scene, all us old early nineties bands and artists meeting up to check out each other’s hair loss and weight gain.
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BIRD FLU |
posted by jim on 5/02/07
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Christmas has come early for 160 thousand turkeys.
Let’s cull Bernard Matthews.
I’ve been staying in a lot. It’s the new going out apparently. My excuse is that I’m an artist. Writing and recording and growing various different beards, which I have to keep shaving off when it’s time to go out: to the pub or up to Manchester to play at the opening night of a comedy club, in aid of Love Music Hate Racism. On the way there, as has now become tradition, Team Jim Bob went to the Odeon that’s inside the ginoormous Trafford Centre. We – literally – tossed a coin between going to see ‘Venus’ or ‘Casino Royale’. Bond won, as he always will. I enjoyed the film, quite long and very loud. The gig that followed was a weird one. Mainly because I had to go on quite late, and after a load of comedians. Not for the first time in my career I think I might have quipped. All in a good cause.
Talking of which.
I got a phone call from Carter’s old agent asking if we’d play a few songs at a tribute gig for the lovely Wiz from the equally lovely Mega City Four after he sadly passed away at the end of last year. We said yes of course. I’d like to think it’s a better reason to get back together rather than just doing it for the money. A bit like Pink Floyd at Live Aid maybe. Three or four songs for a noble cause and no money and then back to the day job. I realise that this may be the opening of the flood gates that lets in all the offers for one off Carter gigs. Let’s just hope nobody offers too much moolah or I might be tempted, being a bit skint at the moment. The gig’s on March 4th and it’s already sold out by the way.
Trying to make sense of what my new LP will sound like. I have a few novel ideas that may take shape. Expect something somewhere between my ‘Angelstrike!’ and ‘School’ albums.
When I was a kid I used to hang out at the ice rink in Streatham. A boy who was probably about the same age I was at that hanging out time was shot dead there on Saturday. I find myself pining for the days of a good kicking, instead of this shooting people dead crap.
C'est la vie
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BIG BLOGGER |
posted by jim on 17/01/07
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I have to break away from all the hullabaloo and heated debate over whether or not Big Brother has descended into a bullying and racism fest in order to write a short blog. I don’t know why, I’ve got nothing to say really. My life can be so lacking in event that having to write about it is frightening. I’m wasting my time on earth and it’s quite disturbing to try to think of stuff I’ve done that might be worth a mention and finding nothing. Maybe my work is done. My fifteen minutes are up. I’ve achieved something Google-able in the past and I shouldn’t expect more. Who do I think I am? Oliver Twist?
Back to that Big Brother nonsense. Blair is answering questions about it in Parliament. They’re discussing it on the radio and on the BBC2 lunchtime politics show. In India people are burning effigies of the Big Brother producer. I wonder who makes those effigies. These are the kind of ridiculous events that can lead to wars. Like filming Saddam Hussein on a mobile phone. Imagine that in the future history lessons. ‘Question five: How did World War III begin? Was it something to do with a mobile phone picture sir?’
I started recording the more acoustic songs for my new LP. I was in the Brixton studio of Jon Clayton, who played cello on the ‘School’ album. He’s a sweet and quiet sort of bloke. I couldn’t imagine Jon throwing a TV out of hotel window or injecting smack into his eyeball. My kind of musician. I took some biscuits and Jon supplied the coffee.
I’ve also been re-writing (again) my ‘novel’. It’s changed quite a bit. I sincerely hope I won’t be talking about this in a year’s time. Or if I am, I hope I will have removed the inverted commas from around the word ‘novel’.
Went to see Dick Whittington for the third time. It was the best I’d seen it. They’d tightened the production up a fair bit and added some new gags. Roger Lloyd Pack, who’s had a bit of criticism for his performance was absolutely superb. I went with my sister and her small children. That added to the experience: seeing it with kids and watching their reactions to everything. Once again, in spite of all the great songs in the show, I came away from it with the ‘Bogie & Pooh’ song stuck in my head for the rest of the day.
It looks like the Barry Barbican will be putting on another panto next year. With a bit of luck they might ask me to write some tunes again.
No Brit Award nomination again.
Although I suppose this time I’m in there in name at least.
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