tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619 2008-03-05T15:39:16Z What happens on tour doesn't stay on tour... Movable Type 3.36 tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619.2330 2008-03-05T15:37:32Z 2008-03-05T15:39:16Z

Lineup: Anti Flag THE KING BLUES All Idols Fall Feb- March ’08. The next morning we set off silly early and hopped in the back of the van. We’d bought a pirate copy of Sweeny Todd to watch on the...

The King Blues Lineup: Anti Flag THE KING BLUES All Idols Fall Feb- March ’08. The next morning we set off silly early and hopped in the back of the van. We’d bought a pirate copy of Sweeny Todd to watch on the way, we waited for an hour and a half for Johnny Depp to finally make his entrance before we figured out we’d been given the old version of the film. We must be really stupid. Plus we couldn’t complain because they HAD given us Sweeny Todd. Anyways, we arrived back in London, said our goodbyes and went to sleep for 2 days. Cheers to Anti Flag and crew, All Idols Fall and crew, Dave Taylor, the merch girls and Tim. ]]> tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619.2329 2008-03-05T15:36:23Z 2008-03-05T15:37:18Z

Everything hurts. I can barely walk, I can barely breathe and my head is definitely gonna fall off soon. We pile into a country pub in some town inbetween Manc and Brum and order the largest roast I’ve ever seen....

The King Blues Everything hurts. I can barely walk, I can barely breathe and my head is definitely gonna fall off soon. We pile into a country pub in some town inbetween Manc and Brum and order the largest roast I’ve ever seen. I think they call it the big plate special. I feel much better after the carrots. I’ve run out of credit so my mum gets a lousy mother’s day text instead of a call. After seeing the size of the dinners, we challenge Johnny to eat the largest pudding on the menu. If he eats it, we pay, if he doesn’t, he pays us. It looked massive in the menu but it didn’t prepare us for it’s arrival. It was bloody HUGE! 8 giant scoops with brownies, milky ways and all sorts of other things in there. He heroically ate the whole thing, even licking the bowl. What a beast. We watched a movie about a woman who has a baby in a Walmart and arrived at the venue. I was gutted, it didn’t feel like the last night of the tour, another 2 weeks would have been sweet. We got All Idols Fall up onstage with us during Mr Music Man and despite a lot of sound problems, we had a great gig. We drove back to the hotel, all gutted that the tour was ending. tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619.2328 2008-03-05T15:35:08Z 2008-03-05T15:39:53Z

Everyone had gone out to the music shops of Birmingham and I managed to get some much needed sleep. Did a few interviews then headed out for the venue. It was a very strange gig, hard work for the 1st...

The King Blues Everyone had gone out to the music shops of Birmingham and I managed to get some much needed sleep. Did a few interviews then headed out for the venue. It was a very strange gig, hard work for the 1st few tunes, but we definitely won them over by the end. In fact I really enjoyed the gig and I got to meet some new and old friends too including a singer/ songwriter I’ve become obsessed with called Perkie http://www.myspace.com/perkiekicksthings After the gig there was a club at the venue, me and Gumby and some of Anti Flag’s crew stayed on for it and let off some steam. We danced to Papa Roach, Nickelback, Limp Bizkit, ya know, the classics, and drank many drinks of differing colours before falling into a club and somehow ending up back at the hotel. Me and Gumby share a room cos neither of us snore (much) and we stayed up silly late talking about everything. tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619.2317 2008-03-04T10:23:12Z 2008-03-04T10:24:29Z

Today was our other day off on tour so we hooked up a headline gig in Luton. Our first time in the town. A really great young oi band opened up, then another oi band and a ska band. The...

The King Blues Today was our other day off on tour so we hooked up a headline gig in Luton. Our first time in the town. A really great young oi band opened up, then another oi band and a ska band. The place was only half full but the crowd went nuts as soon as we hit the stage. We’d been passing the time by supping on a lot of wine before the show and in very high spirits we all had a great time and played for about an hour. We managed to get in a cover of ‘54-46’ and ‘Pressure Drop’ and everyone had fun. Cheers to Luton for making us feel so welcome! We voted against going clubbing and drove to Birmingham to get an early start on the gig the next day. Watched a lot of Curb Your Enthusiasm, ate a lot of pizza and generally got very rowdy on the journey there. At the hotel me and Gumby watched a show on BBC3 about childbirth that both had us crossing our legs. It was shocking and absolutely amazing, then we managed to somehow sleep soundly. tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619.2316 2008-03-04T10:20:47Z 2008-03-04T10:22:34Z

Waking up in one of the quietest towns in Britain and then being thrust onto Oxford Street in London in rush hour is a traumatic experience. Once my head had stopped spinning I walked into the venue and we hung...

The King Blues The 100 Club is a strangely shaped venue, really wide so you only see the band properly if you’re in the middle of the floor, unless you’re behind the pillar which is also in the middle of the floor. Despite that, the people that work there are great and it’s rammed full with history. It’s always an honour to play there. Tonight was no exception and we had a great show, nice to see so many familiar faces too. We went to a nearby pub to have a few drinks and a discussion about Tom Jones then headed back to see Anti Flag. It was the best night I’d seen them the whole tour, they looked like they were having a lot of fun and the crowd loved it. We all hung out at the venue afterwards til we eventually got kicked out and headed home. ]]> tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619.2315 2008-03-04T10:19:34Z 2008-03-04T10:20:41Z

It was our first time in Yeovil and me and Johnny wanted to check out the town so we headed out in search of some traditional Somerset cider. We were 2 of 5 people on the highstreet, it was peaceful...

The King Blues It was our first time in Yeovil and me and Johnny wanted to check out the town so we headed out in search of some traditional Somerset cider. We were 2 of 5 people on the highstreet, it was peaceful but eerily quiet. I asked in the off licence about the cider and the bloke behind the counter just looked confused ‘Cloudy cider? No nowhere in town does that, the priest doesn’t like it’ he angrily said to me in a thick Somerset accent. I didn’t know where to begin with this guy so I settled on the usual toxic cans that’ve never seen an apple in their life. When we arrived back at the venue there was a football game going on with All Idols in the car park so we joined in and then a punk band called The Exposed set up and played acoustically which was brilliant. We’d started out playing to other band’s ques and had done it to the Anti Flag que in the past and it was great to see that being passed on. The venue itself was easily the smallest of the tour and all the bands appreciated having the crowd right up in our faces. They went mental and started a massive pit, it was a brilliant gig. They definitely made us feel very welcome as new comers to their town. Anti Flag also seemed have a great time on stage and they destroyed the place. After the gig I bought some DVD’s from my friend Tom who had come down to do a book stall, then we all went off on a fruitless search for food. EVERYWHERE was shut. We stayed in a hotel over the road, bought some Mother’s Day cards, then made the long trek back to London. tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619.2314 2008-03-04T10:18:26Z 2008-03-04T10:19:20Z

Brighton Set off again to Brighton all very excited. It’s become like a second home to us because it’s close by, has a brilliant punk scene and a rich activist history. And the best burger shop in Britain. We made...

The King Blues Brighton Set off again to Brighton all very excited. It’s become like a second home to us because it’s close by, has a brilliant punk scene and a rich activist history. And the best burger shop in Britain. We made room on the merch table for our friends Jo from Schnews and Fabien from the Smash EDO campaign who joyfully filled it up with political newsletters, books and DVD’s. I bought a Smash EDO T-shirt to wear onstage. EDO is an arms manufacturer based in Brighton and we’ve been supporting the Smash EDO resistance group for a while now- our b-side to the ‘Mr Music Man’ single is entitled ‘Smash EDO dub’. Our friend Tim the Tech turned up to tech for us and it made the gig great. From the word go the crowd were just going mental, creating a massive pit with kids climbing up on stage. We again had Pat and Leon join us for ‘The Streets Are Ours’ and we planned to be joined onstage by rebel poet Attila The Stockbroker, but he turned up 5 minutes too late! As we were on stage we noticed a familiar face in front of the barrier, it was our friend Ashley Maile who was one of the photographers for the night, a treat to see him too! The set continued with the crowd getting madder and madder and by the final song there was a mass stage invasion as the kids took over the stage. The show, as they say, must go off. I ended up finishing the set on top of someone’s shoulders while the bongos got taken over by some of the kids on stage, it was a really great, one love, party vibe. We proceeded to get very drunk and really didn’t want to leave the venue. We were the last ones there when the doors were finally locked and we made our way to Grubbs, our favourite burger bar. By the time we got there it was long shut but Fruitbag didn’t notice and excitedly opened the van door and fell flat on his face, still holding a can of beer, onto the cold Brighton pavement. It was freakin’ hilarious. Fair play to him, he didn’t try and style it out or nothing he just lay there on his front laughing at himself along with the entire street. We arrived at the hotel still in high spirits but the receptionist took an instant disliking to us. It didn’t help matters when I managed to spill red wine all over the carpet pretty much as soon as I got there. We were arguing over who’s turn it was to host the party in their room and he threatened to bar us. Luckily he had a last minute change of heart and let us stay. I was gutted we were staying so far away from the centre of Brighton cos we wanted to party with our mates but we made the most of it when we managed to outsmart Fruitbag and Johnny Rich into letting us party in their room. By the time I finally stumbled back to my room I slept VERY soundly. tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619.2313 2008-03-04T10:17:17Z 2008-03-04T10:18:02Z

Woke up in my own bed which made it very difficult to get out of, I was gutted that I was back in London so soon but excited to be seeing Mike Park, today we were secret guests at his...

The King Blues Woke up in my own bed which made it very difficult to get out of, I was gutted that I was back in London so soon but excited to be seeing Mike Park, today we were secret guests at his show in Camden. We turned up and proceded to get drunk way too early. Our good friend Mike Scott was first on and he swiftly gave away the fact that we were playing. Sundowner went up next and it became obvious that the crowd were VERY polite. Clapping after each song, but not so loudly as to draw attention to themselves. We set up in the middle of the floor and played a set consiting of entirely new material which went down really well even if I did suddenly realise just how drunk I was half way through our set. We watched the always inspiring Mike Park, he’s such a great songwriter and story teller and he always makes the gig seem so personal. I’ve been a big fan of every single band he’s been in, but his solo set is my favourite. Blown away, we drove back home to eat pizza. tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619.2312 2008-03-04T10:15:39Z 2008-03-04T10:24:50Z

We grabbed some breakfast and jumped in the back of the van, heading for the waterfront in norwich, a venue we’ve played many times and have always had a good one at. We got Pat from Anti Flag and Leon...

The King Blues We grabbed some breakfast and jumped in the back of the van, heading for the waterfront in norwich, a venue we’ve played many times and have always had a good one at. We got Pat from Anti Flag and Leon from All Idols Fall to come onstage with us and play the percussion break in ‘The Streets Are Ours’ which went down well, it wasn’t the tightest percussion ensemble I’ve ever seen but it was a nice sentiment. The crowd were brilliant for us and just went nuts the whole way through the set. We announced the anti war march on March 15th onstage and lots of people came up to us afterwards and were very interested in the details. We hung out with a lot of old friends and made some new ones and then regretfully headed back to London for the night. Got in crazy late and stayed up swopping stories with my flatmate Craig from Moral Dilemma who had also just arrived back in London midway through a tour. tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619.2311 2008-03-04T10:12:32Z 2008-03-04T10:25:12Z

Peterborough We all met up in London and were very excited as we hadn’t been on tour in about 2 months. We’re also in the middle of recording our 2nd album so a chance to get out and run around...

The King Blues Peterborough We all met up in London and were very excited as we hadn’t been on tour in about 2 months. We’re also in the middle of recording our 2nd album so a chance to get out and run around was just what we’d been waiting for. To say we were annoying and hyper in the van ride down is a major understatement. We arrived in Peterborough and loaded into the venue where we met All Idols Fall and when it became apparent that both bands were worried that there would be no partying on this tour (due to Anti Flag being straight edge) we instanty clicked with them and got pissed. Anti Flag were really friendly, definitely the most welcoming headline band we’ve toured with, and we were really happy things were going so well. ]]> We watched opening band Brassphemy and All Idols Fall from the side of the stage and then we had our turn. Somewhere during the 1st song I kicked a can of cider over and it all went into my tuner and ukulele which seemed to now be fucked. Not a good start. In the second song I jumped into the crowd and my mic lead grabbed hands with my uke again and it followed me off the stage and banged hard on the floor. This wasn’t going well. A few songs passed and I managed to skillfully kick Fruitbag’s lead out of his guitar Pele style. By the last song, my ukulele decided it was going to mend itself, perhaps a little too late but better than never. Definitely not the most successful set we’ve done but the crowd seemed to really love it, very kind of them. After the gig we drove to the hotel and it was in probably the drunkest street I’ve ever seen. We watched the show from the window and it was madness. tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619.2288 2008-01-29T22:30:19Z 2008-02-25T22:36:07Z

The King Blues Hope. Peace. Soul. Monday, 28 January 2008 I just wanna say a massive thanks to everyone that came along and showed me a brilliant time and to Count Me In for doing the gig and to all...

The King Blues The King Blues Hope. Peace. Soul. Monday, 28 January 2008 I just wanna say a massive thanks to everyone that came along and showed me a brilliant time and to Count Me In for doing the gig and to all the other acts that played. I was gutted Kelly Kemp couldn't make it but it was made great fun by a lively, subversive atmosphere. We started up in a great space called The Global Cafe, a cafe packed full of leftie reading material and the like. I got to do about 4 tunes before time was called, I didn't wanna get the place into trouble but I did want to keep on playing, at which point someone whispered in my ear that there was a squat up the road with a massive garden we can finish off the gig at. Everyone marched together to the squat and we finished up there after a round to the offy for some crates. This empty building had been taken over by squatters who had nurtured a very impressive garden and made it avaliable to the whole community. It had a lovely vibe and I enjoyed myself muchly playing new tunes and jamming with my friend Sam Russo. At the end of my set I crawled out of a whole in the fence to catch a train back to London, accompanied by a handful of brilliant people who kindly walked me the 15 minutes walk to the station to make sure I made the last train and didn't need a place to crash - how often does that happen!! About 5 minutes after I leave the squat and the police turn up (if only my life was like that) a few words were exchanged but as far as I can gather it all ended peacefully and eventually everyone got home - even me! hope, peace & soul itch ]]> tag:thekingblues.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://619.2289 2008-01-24T22:36:28Z 2008-02-25T22:42:40Z

By itch Picture the scene: Monday 23rd Jan 2008, a protest is being held and despite the turnout not being massive, the press coverage is. The police are everywhere but none of the marchers are being harrased, penned in, photographed,...

The King Blues By itch Picture the scene: Monday 23rd Jan 2008, a protest is being held and despite the turnout not being massive, the press coverage is. The police are everywhere but none of the marchers are being harrased, penned in, photographed, searched or arrested. Almost sounds like we live in a democracy. For once, the Met even overestimated the number of marchers rather than criminally under scoring them! There is one difference to this particular protest however; it is made up almost entirely of policemen, their aim: to demand more pay. Anyone who has been on a protest in recent years will be familiar with the Forward Intelligence Team (FIT)- police photographers originally set up to gather evidence about football hooligans and the like has turned its eye to photographing anyone who dares disagree with a government policy, photographing nearly everyone who attends protests- legally and peacefully- to gather information. ]]> An anarchist group known as FIT Watch decided to give the police a taste of their own medicine as they exercised the right to protest that they deny to others. Originally they handed out flyers claiming they were from The Met, penning in the police but they soon got found out. Another member of FIT Watch attempted to infiltrate the march but was refused being told it was an “invitation only event, open only to police federation members, their families and friends". This led to the arrest of 2 anarchists originally for breaching the commisoner's regulations, then later in custody it was changed to highway obstruction. Someone at the front of the march was easily recognised - a thug in a cheap £40 Debenham's style suit? Must be a BNP member. Yep, BNP councillor in Barking and Dagenham and BNP's candidate for Mayor of London '08 Richard Barnbrook was out in full force. To say he's a very confused individual is somewhat an understatement- Barnbrook was previously an artist and made a film called HMS Discovery: A Love Story- which was widely described as gay porn. He's also engaged to Simon Clarke, the 'BNP ballerina' who has a mixed race child from a previous relationship- these 2 parts of Barnbrook's life obviously don't go down well with the rest of his far right supporters and highlight his 'confused' personality, but that's another story altogether. When the police were questioned about the attendace of the BNP member, the Police Federation's Metin Enver replied “Some of my colleagues saw we had the BNP Mayoral candidate with us. The one thing we want to make clear is we didn't invite him. It wasn't a closed march. He chose to attend by his own accord which is his right in a democracy. It is disappointing if anyone chose to join the march for their own agenda.” This now leaves an interesting situation. The FIT Watch members who were arrested are challenging the police to take them to court because the police will either than have to admit to lying about the march being an “invitation only event" to the anarchists, or admit to lying about not inviting the BNP member. We'll have to wait and see what the result is. In the meantime, FIT Watch will be holding a public meeting on Saturday 8th March, 2pm, at LSE. Their website www.fitwatch.blogspot.com declares: "And, a special invitation to those lovely officers in the Forward Intelligence Team. You are cordially invited to attend this meeting (standing outside, of course), as it will give us an ideal opportunity to start the day with a practical session."