Thick Creamy Podcast 29-03-2013

Here's the sixteenth Thick Creamy Podcast, bands playing live at the Sounds XP Easter alldayer and me talking.

RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

The bands were recorded live at the Windmill in Brixton, there were loads of bands playing, but I only taped four of them; Simon Love, No Cars, Viv Albertine and Big Wave.

Thick Creamy Podcast 12-10-2012

Here's the latest Thick Creamy Podcast, bands playing live at a gig the other night, and me talking

RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Instead of using SoundCloud or whatever it was I used to use, its up on my own servery thing, ChrisGilmour.co.uk which is kind of neat, but alas there's no streaming player thing so you'll have to right click and save as...

The gig was a Odd Box Records night at The Tipsy Bar in Dalston featuring City Yelps, Fever Dream and September Girls.

It was a bit of a struggle to find the venue, and I'd set off a little late, and the venue was really dark, so I only caught the last two songs of City Yelps. They were noisy, but fun. I dunno whether its just my small palette of band descriptions or Oddbox's taste in music, but I thought City Yelps had that post-punk late seventies Liverpool sound, maybe Joy Division too. I wish I'd caught all of their set.

Second band were Fever Dream, who are awesome. They sound a little art school, really well assembled tunes.

Fever Dream at The Tipsy Bar

Headlining the night were September Girls from Dublin, they were dressed as The Bangles, and played a neat cover of The Clapping Song.

September Girls at The Tipsy Bar

On the way home from the show I tried to record all my talkie bits for the podcast whilst I was drunk and wandering through Ridley Road Market. But when I listened to it in the morning there was this water pouring noise in the background which sounded like I was pissing, and I'd mangled one of the band names.

Its possible to subscribe to these Thick Creamy Podcasts on iTunes so they download automagically every time I put up a new one.

Simply go into the 'Advanced' menu in iTunes, click 'Subscribe to Podcast' and then paste in this rss feed

http://thickcreamydischarge.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

and that should give you all the podcasts, forever.

Thick Creamy Podcast 28-09-2012

Here's the latest Thick Creamy Podcast, bands playing live at a gig the other night, and me talking

RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Instead of using SoundCloud or whatever it was I used last time, its up on my own servery thing, ChrisGilmour.co.uk which is kind of neat, but alas there's now streaming player thing so you'll have to right click and save as...

The gig was a Odd Box Records night at The Buffalo Bar featuring two of my favourite bands and two other bands who I'd never heard before who were also pretty ace.

First up were Flowers. I loved their soaring guitars, sounded a bit like a teenage My Blood Valentine practising in their bedroom and a lovely warbling girl sounding like the eighties, Kate Bush, Julee Cruise, Cyndi Lauper.

Flowers playing at The Buffalo Bar 28-SEP-2012

Also, they finished up with a song where the wee girl was playing a one-string bass guitar. Back in '95 when me and Pnos were still learning our instruments, we were tempted by such a thing, but never followed through. Good work Flowers!

Next up were The Choo Choo Trains, who looked pretty cool. I got distracted in their set and didn't get any photos and my recording of it has lots of me talking about bus stops and streetlighting design which isn't quite as musical as the band.

The penultimate band were Town Bike, I hadn't seen them for years, they were awesome.

Town Bike playing at The Buffalo Bar 28-SEP-2012

And then headlining were Tender Trap who fans of my podcast will remember featured in a this podcast from March

Amelia from Tender Trap playing at The Buffalo Bar 28-SEP-2012

Its possible to subscribe to these Thick Creamy Podcasts on iTunes so they download automagically every time I put up a new one.

Simply go into the 'Advanced' menu in iTunes, click 'Subscribe to Podcast' and then paste in this rss feed

http://thickcreamydischarge.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

and that should give you all the podcasts, forever.

Thick Creamy Podcast 08-09-2012

For possibly the second time ever, legendary Glasgow band The Plimptons played London. I was at a bit of a loose end last Saturday night, so I happened upon The Buffalo Bar in Islington and popped into to catch the Guided Missile night.

I had my recorder with me so I've put together a podcast of the gig. The four bands playing were Summer Hunter, The Plimptons, Keith Top of the Pops and his UK Minor Indie Celebrity Band and Dream Themes.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Awesomeness all round then. The first act were Summer Hunter, two girls from Shrag and a chap from the Fire Dept, that's a female band there. I only caught their last two songs, but they were pretty exciting sounding, lots of reverb on the vocals, you can never have too much reverb on the vox.

The Plimptons were on second, the Buffalo Bar was packed to the rafters which was quite a relief cos they were getting a bit worried. They were absolutely electric, the songs thoughtful pieces examining the drinking and music culture of their home towns of Glasgow and Motherwell, illustrated with cartoons, costumes and set pieces that had to be seen to be believed.

I was recruited for videographer duties so I didn't get to take any photies, not sure when the video will surface, but I have faith.

Next were Keith TOTP and his UK Minor Indie Celebrity Band, who were up to their usual high standards. Some might say that three guitarists is one too many, but Keith cranks it up to levels not seen since the Reindeer Section played the QMU with a mighty six guitars, only one bass player though. Maybe they could get together with FreeBase and it would all balance out.

That said, its quite possible that the fifth and sixth guitarists weren't plugged in, how would anyone know?

And headlining were Dream Themes. You know that episode of the IT Crowd where they go to the underground Countdown place, well, Dream Themes play live covers of popular TV theme tunes, and they rock. Highlights would be the Addams Family, Blockbusters and of course the sawing epic vistas of Bergerac.

Anyhoo, after spend around three hours trying to upload the podcast to SoundCloud, I gave up and went with another podcast provider, you should be able to download the mp3 from here with a trusty right click and save link as...

About 1 minute and 50 seconds in you can hear Martin from the Plimptons asking where the toilets are. Rock and Roll!!!!

Thick Creamy Podcast 20-07-2012

The other days I went to a gig, the last ever Which Way Is Up show at The Wilmington Arms, so I've recorded a podcast from the night featuring some awesome bands like The Cosines, Downdime, Haiku Salut and Ace Bushy Striptease.


At the bottom of this blogpost you file some of the photatoes I took at the show, I think that last one of Ace Bushy Striptease is the best gig photo I've ever taken ever.

I wonder, is my podcasting career underperforming? I'm averaging only 25 listeners per podcast, am I doing something wrong or is that punching above my weight?


For the first couple I was getting thirty or forty listeners, and for the last few they've only been getting twenty or so. Is it just I'm not pimping it so hard and spamming twitter, Facebook, and all the messageboards, or is it just its a poor idea?

The Cosines

The Cosines

Downdime

Haiku Salut

Ace Bushy Striptease

Thick Creamy Podcast 12-06-2012

Its been weeks and sweeks since this gig, but here's a podcast of The School, Just Handshakes (We're British) and Knickers gig at The Queen of Hoxton, from 12-06-2012

Knickers

It was the first time I'd been to The Queen of Hoxton, just a few blocks away from Liverpool Street Station, maybe five minutes walk. The place was one of those cool, dark neon lit places that you'd imagine were created by The Mighty Boosh.

Although there were posters up advertising the gig, I couldn't find where the bands were playing until I asked the barmaid. There's this big staircase in the middle of the room with a sign clearly marked 'Toilets', then there's this big octagonal room, its like something from dungeons and dragons, there's like eight doors, two of them lead to certain toilets, and only one of them leads to the venuey band playing bit. It was dark but I could just about find my way.

Knickers

Of course I'd arrived a bit early so there was a good deal of standing around, and I wasn't quite sure which band was on first, I hadn't seen the Just Handshakes (We're British) since Indietracks last year and I didn't want to miss them, on the other band I see Knickers more often than I watch the news, so it could easily nip out to get my dinner when they were on.

So Knickers kick off the night with an awesome set featuring favourites My Baby's Just a Baby, and A Thousand Miles and some of their more obscure b-sides such as  Wowie Zowie.

Just Handshakes (We're British)

I found a fish and chip takeaway a few blocks away, although I have to confess, technical difficulties meant I couldn't clock in on FourSquare. The football was on, I saw Blaszczykowsk's goal. just as the man asked me if I wanted a sausage with my chips. 

Moments later Just Handshakes (We're British) took to the stage.

They were alright.


They'd played in Newcastle a few weeks before and much of their between song banter was based around Byker Grove, that was cool, but does it say something about the age of the audience, I mean, it hasn't been on TV in over five years, and Geoff's been dead for over a decade.

The School

Headlining the evening were The School. The first couple of songs were beset with technical problems as the mixing desk died, so songs became acoustic numbers halfway through, but it was all taken graciously.


They played a long set of track from their first album 2010's Loveless Unbeliever and their new album Reading Too Much Into Things Like Everything

And so it was that I skipped home through the warm Hoxton streets.

Thick Creamy Podcast 21-05-2012

Its been a wee while since I did one of my critically acclaimed Thick Creamy Podcasts. This latest one features tracks from two different gigs, the last Which Way Is Up at The Wilmington Arms on Friday 18-05-2012 and one at The Lexington on Monday 21-05-2012.

Knickers

Sadly I was late getting to both gigs and missed some bands what I really wanted to see, like Fireworks and The Cosines. I am a bad punter. I got distracted watching TV and having dinner and under estimated how long the undrground takes to get to Kings Cross and how quickly I can run to venues from there.

Actually for the Lexington gig I'd been out running before I went out, so I was so knackered I could barely stand up. I'm not quite as fit as I used to be.

Anyhoo, on the podcast there are tracks from Poppy Perezz, Local Girls, Knickers and Still Flyin'.



Feel free to download it, also I discovered that its possible to subscribe to these Thick Creamy Podcasts on iTunes so they download automagically every time I put up a new one.

Simply go into the 'Advanced' menu in iTunes, click 'Subscribe to Podcast' and then paste in this rss feed

http://thickcreamydischarge.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

and that should give you all the podcasts, forever.

Local Girls

Poppy Perezz

Still Flyin'

Thick Creamy Podcast 05-05-2012

On the calendar it was a thrilling fun packed weekend, Avengers in 3D on Friday night, the OddBox Weekender on Saturday and Sunday, Veronica Falls in the Camden Crawl on Sunday night, and on Monday an alldayer at The Lexington and escaping to Tender Trap at The Wilmington Arms in the evening.

I made it to Brixton on Saturday for the an afternoon of OddBox bands, catching Fever Dream, Pale Man Made, The Chasms, Drop Out Venus and Pocketbooks.


I 've put together a podcast of the five bands who I did see. The recording sounds a little boomy on my PC speakers, but you get the gist of what its all about.
Feel free to download it, also I discovered that its possible to subscribe to these Thick Creamy Podcasts on iTunes so they download automagically every time I put up a new one.

Simply go into the 'Advanced' menu in iTunes, click 'Subscribe to Podcast' and then paste in this rss feed

http://thickcreamydischarge.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

and that should give you all the podcast, forever.

Fever Dream

The Chasms

Drop Out Venus

The Mighty Mighty Pocketbooktones

Thick Creamy Podcast 03-05-2012

I went to an awesome gig at The Lexington the other night, eagerly pursuing a band called Manflu who I'd seen at one of the Oddbox show last month, this is how fans are made.

There were a couple of other bands playing and as it was the launch night of Clash magazine, there were lots of copies lying around to read. What really caught my eye was an interview with Jimi Cauty, he used to be in the KLF, my favourite band of the early nineties before I discovered baggy. He's an artist now, working in Clerkenwell doing slightly subversive interesting stuff.

So there were three bands, first up were Sserpress, long haired heavy chaps bellowing out okay rock songs.

I must have been stood in a sweet spot cos they were so loud that I had to turn the dial on my digital recorded all the way to eleven.

The second band were a bit of awesome, there was an arty crowd int he audience, at least one of Erin K and Tash was kicking about, I thought it was cos Clash is an arty magazine, there were also a lot of people with the cool undercut hairstyle I had when I was sixteen. It turns out that the Vuvuvultures are the gods of arty fashion bands.

They've got this singer, Harmony Boucher who's like a fashion model / actress and also has a hell of a voice on her, looks a bit boyish too. Their biog describes them as '..vaguely reminiscent of riot grrl with added internet, or dirty bikers eating microchips and washing it down with video games and icecream'

Then finally Manflu were headlining. They were as good as last time I saw them, the performed well with a large stage. However by this time of theevening I was a bit knackered and wanted to go home, so I did.

Oh, almost forgot, via Matt Henderson on twitter there was a monsterous retweet wave going round the world

London has just won the HIPSTER OLYMPICS. Seriously amazing. http://i.imgur.com/N8tuG.jpg

That was outside The Lexington, I was there! When I tried to tweet about it, autocorrect changed it to the Hamster Olympics. Damn you autocorrect.

Anyhoo, moving swiftly on, I've done a podcast of the gig:-
Feel free to download it, also I discovered that its possible to subscribe to these Thick Creamy Podcasts on iTunes so they download automagically every time I put up a new one.

Simply go into the 'Advanced' menu in iTunes, click 'Subscribe to Podcast' and then paste in this rss feed

http://thickcreamydischarge.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

and that should give you all the podcasts.

Thick Creamy Podcast 20-04-2012

I've been somewhat incapacitated with a really snotty cold for the past couple of weeks, phlegm everywhere, and rather sadly missed a whole load of awesome gigs last weekend, I think I missed the Cosines, Hong Kong in the 60s, Knickers, Allo Darlin and many more. However, I'm feeling a lot better now, and last night made it to The Wilmington Arms for Which Way Is Up.

There were three bands, Manflu, who were spunky, Omi Palone who were okay and Dignan Porch who were awesome.

I almost went for the whole gig without talking to anyone, but then some couple standing at the back wanted to go outside for a cigarette and needed me to look after their bags for them.

Anyhoo, here's a podcast featuring my recordings of the show, interspersed with me being a sassy John Peel style DJ and basically making up lies.



Feel free to download it, and put it on your iPod and listen to it, then forget about it until you have your iPod on random in fives years time and get rather mortified by my dulcet tones.

Thick Creamy Podcast 30-03-2012

I was at the Librarians Wanted / Big Pink Cake show last night at the Betsy Trotwood and saw Horowitz, The Fireworks and The Blanche Hudson Weekend.

I hardly spoke to anyone. I was in one of those weird introspective moods I get, its either crippling shyness or just plain rude. Sometimes its hard to tell.

It guess its a self-perpetuating thing really, but its been a character trait pretty consistently since I was a young boy.

For my seventh birthday party, I hid in my bedroom feining stomach ache rather than play with my friends who had all come round bearing gifts.

And yes, such behaviour has cost me dearly over the years, but I've still turned out okay. And sure if I try really hard I can wear a mask of gregariousness and party hard, and sometimes I even feel comfortable doing that, but given the choice, I often just lurk at the back of the room, trying to avoid eye contact, with a slightly pained look on my face.

I had this awesome idea, I need to record an album, a definitive album, like Bill Drummond's The Man, but me. I'd hire some half decent session musicians, call in favours, pull strings and get it released, and it would be okay.

I've even written a few songs, carefully scultped and crafted, lowest common denominator sort of things, carefully measured and calculated fuzz and distortion. Sleaze, schmindie, rock and jazz finely blended.

There was this song which starts out in Plato's cave, then moves to a hillside and finally a mountaintop, standing with fist in the air. I'd get the guy Horowitz to sing the chorus "Why, why, why, oh god, why!"

Here's the podcast that I've made of the gig

Feel free to download it, share it, tweet it and all the rest.
Aw man, I think I got the name of the Horowitz song wrong and completely missed the definitive article from Fireworks. Ah well, win some, lose some.

Thick Creamy Podcast 22-03-2012

According to my FourSquare checking last Thursday was my first visit to The Buffalo Bar in over a year, crikey, how times have changed. There was once a time when Songkick reckoned that I was The Buffalo Bar's most frequent visitor, but now they've taken away that sort of functionality from the site.

Anyhoo, I toddled along for a How Does It Feel to Be Loved night, it was only a fiver to get in and for four bands, that's awesome value for money.

First up were The Empty Set. They were pretty quiet, had violins, and were nice and relaxing, almost soothing me into the evening.

Second up were Big Wave from Torquay. I've never been sure where Torquay is, or even if its a real place, its possibly near Mu and R'lyeh, although I remember Torquay had a pretty good team on Football Manager on the CPC, so it must be real. They were a lively band, guitars, keyboards, girl-dominated, a little like Elastica I guess. I hope they play London again soon.

The third band were Knickers, featuring Dan and Jonny from Pocketbooks and some other folk, they were a decent stomping band with gallic sixties chanteuse sort of vibe. They had a couple of stand out tunes, Candy, My Baby's just a Baby and Wowie Zowie, but the sound mixing was a little stodgy.

Headlining were Tender Trap who were as lovely as usual. It looks like Elizabeth from Allo Darlin' has been replaced from Emily from Betty and the Werewolves, but the overall sound is the same, twee harmonies, corny jokes, jangle.

So here's the podcast thing I've put together of the gig, I'm not sure about the sound levels, they looked a bit weird on Audacity, let me know what you think.

Have a listen. Feel free to download it, stick it on your iPod so it comes up on random from time to time.

There's a chance that the bands themselves or the promoters or whoever might object to me recording their show and putting it out there like this, in which case I'll take it down, or edit out the bands in question. Also there's a chance that the bands and promoters would want a copy of the whole set that I recorded, not just the bits I edited together, in which case, if they got in touch I would send them everything I've got.

Thick Creamy Podcast 18-03-2012

Last weekend, I thought I'd stretch my legs and wander down to The Lexington to catch some bands at The Hangover Lounge. It was a welcome reward after a hard Saturday night's TV watching.


Sadly, it was a bit of a trek and I arrived almost at the end of the first band's set. I think I've seen Owl and Mouse a couple of times before, somehow I follow them on twitter. They were pretty quiet but nice too, relaxing.

After a short break the second act commenced. It was chap called Andy Strickland, of Creation Records legends The Loft, and also The Caretaker Race. I think I might be too young to remember him from the first time round. It had been twenty one years since he played at The Lexington.

The final act were Amor De Dias, that's Alisdair from The Clientele and Lupe from The Pipas. They were really really quiet, so quiet that my digital recorder was picking up a chap scratching his arm on the other side of the room as louder than the guitars. I don't think his arm was even that itchy.

So here's the podcast thing  I've put together of the gig, I only caught a portion of Owl and Mouse, but you get the feel of it.


Have a listen. Feel free to download it, stick it on your iPod so it comes up on random from time to time.

There's a chance that the bands themselves or the promoters or whoever might object to me recording their show and putting it out there like this, in which case I'll take it down, or edit out the bands in question. Also there's a chance that the bands and promoters would want a copy of the whole set that I recorded, not just the bits I edited together, in which case, if they got in touch I would send them everything I've got.

Thick Creamy Podcast 16-03-2012

So, last night I went along to my second gig of the year, at the Wilmington Arms, Oddbox was hosting a night called Which Way Is Up! featuring three acts:- Benjamin Shaw, Flights of Helios and Post War Glamour Girls.

It was a thoroughly pleasent night. Ben Shaw was a bittersweet miserablist playing guitar from a stool, I joked wthat he sounds like MJ Hibbett from the mirror universe, and later found out that Ben's next gig is with Hibbett. He seemed super excited when I bought his CD.

Flights of Helios were a shoegazery mob with two keyboards, guitars, Father Dougal on bass and so on. I was trying to place who they sounded like, Mercury Rev I thought, just before they announced they were playing a Mercury Rev cover.

The Headline act were Post War Glamour Girls from Leeds, kind of edgy rock four-piece with sounds about service stations.

Now, a thing that I've been thinking about for ages is that empty feeling you get after Popfests or gigs, where before you were so excited, you've downloaded the compilated CD, and put together playlists on your iPod of the bands who are playing and at the show you're exhilarated, but then afterwards and for the rest of your life, that show is over, in the past. All that's left is maybe a few photos, String Bean Jen's videos on YouTube, and maybe a CD or two that you bought, what's missing is something unique to take home out from the show, a "was there then" sort of thing.

So I got myself a Zoom H2n digital recorder, downloaded Audacity 2, and I've put together a podcast of the gig.


Have a listen. Feel free to download it, stick it on your iPod so it comes up on random from time to time.

There's a chance that the bands themselves or the promoters or whoever might object to me recording their show and putting it out there like this, in which case I'll take it down, or edit out the bands in question. Also there's a chance that the bands and promoters would want a copy of the whole set that I recorded, not just the bits I edited together, in which case, if they got in touch I'd send them everything I've got.