Mr. Charming

Quotation

2005-10-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

Proper good quote from Nef's interview with The Cooper Temple Clause:

R13: I'm from Basingstoke, so I think Reading's the lesser of two evils - would you agree? Where would you prefer to live?
BG: Yes. Reading.

Random

2005-09-24T04:26:00.000-07:00

I really, really want a terrible Christian band to send me their CD to review, so that I can use the rather splendid "Wholly shit" pun that I just invented.

Pubs.

2005-09-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

Ventured to meet Ruth tonight, randomly. We wandered around Horsforth for a bit, before deciding to head to the King's Arms for a pint, because it was cold. A number of notable things then happened:

1) A man looking just like Dave Grohl was there.

2) Joe was there (having just started uni, and no longer living in Horsforth, this was odd)

3) Everyone was there.

But then, completely bizarrely, we walked the 3-or-so-mile wander to The Railway on the other side of town. Which is more expensive and full of old people. Still, we spent 'till about eleven down there, drinking heavily and discussing vaginas.

And now I've just got back, and it's now.

So, yeah. Lovely.

Review Hyping

2005-09-18T02:38:00.000-07:00

Through the trademark delayed guitar at the start, the strings-laden breakdown sections and the enormous cavern of orchestral sound that closes iLiKETRAiNS' second single, the tune swings from melancholy, to defiance, to terror, and back round again for another full circle...

Review of iLT's new offering at LMS. It's a truly special single.

Query for Adam

2005-09-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Nello: When were you in Leeds?

And what the hell were you doing here?

Quarter Century

2005-09-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

So, I return from Yarnbury, far too drunk for my own good and completely buzzing after a fantastic 25th gig evah. We played to about 150-200 people, which included a rather insane (if a little organised) stage invasion, which involved playing Frutta with twenty people crammed onto the tiny stage. It was fucking brilliant.

Played a new set tonight, which involved ending with Ballad, which I thought really worked. Mr. Charming is on the up, and you'd better be fucking there with us.

yes.

Wow

2005-09-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

Eighteen months is a long fucking time.

Yo dude, check out these babes man!

2005-09-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

Cheers to James Willock for pointing me towards this newly-created archive of writings from the good old days of Resolution, circa 2002-2003. Reading through, I notice the following items of interest:

Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack (GTA3 / Vice City)
The first perfect score I ever awarded anything for any publication. Typically, it caused something of an outrage, yet I stand by it to this day.

March! Offworld Recon
I think this was one of my banal attempts at humour, though inevitibly, looking back, it ended up failing just as much as the game itself.

Beach King: Stunt Racer
I had actually forgotten about this game, though having re-read this review I wrote a few years back, I don't think the manual's opening will ever leave my mind again. Atrocious terrible sexist offensive steaming crap pile of a game. It's not a bad review, though, if you don't mind me saying.

Hidden & Dangerous 2
Written by the ever-knowledgeable Nikki Williams, and perhaps the most comprehensive and excellent videogame review I've ever read. Nothing fancy, just 1700 words of magical critique.

Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic
One from Nello. I remember really liking this piece, particularly the line where he refers to a long-term relationship as 'campaign mode'. I recall showing this review to Cobbet one evening. He hated it. Shows what he knows, the silly one-of-the-country's-best-journalists.

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Noteworthy for being the longest review ever written of anything, Paul Julian's Morrowind piece sticks in my mind not only due to its length, but also because his opinions completely agree with my own.

007: Goldeneye
Finally, one from the keyboard of Willock himself, which features the line that made me laugh more than any other at Res:

Anyone who disagrees that first person shooters are easily the most 'immersive' of the videogames genre is either a fool, Lewis Denby, or an idiot.

We thank you.

Hmm...

2005-09-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

Just found this picture over at MSN space. Myself, Danny, and the other halves. Predictably, Laura and Jo look far more sensible than either of us.

New gig and that. We're opening for Anechoic on Wednesday at Josephs Well. Yay.

Kudos

2005-09-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I linked to R13, but I think it's well deserved since they got this one spot on:

It's an incredible story and an amazing theme to pick as the scaffolding to a song, and yet it gels so well with the quirky, eminently intelligent and formidable sound of iLiKETRAiNS. A tier above the similarly dark and shadowy Interpol, who are in themselves awesome anyway, and capable of inhabiting the same prized place of precedence on your record shelf as seminal original masters Joy Division.

Not too sure about the Joy Division reference, but other than that, this review is the best thing on that site in, well, probably ever. Not only does it provide precise and accurate coverage of the track, as well as an insight into the story behind it, it also - well - agrees with my opinion entirely.

Which, let's face it, is always going to be nice.

Titties and beer

2005-09-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

I got my shit togather today, as john put's it so bluntly. Yep i sorted through my stuff and packed it into boxes, an emotional experience, coming across memories, emboidied in little object that i seem to maticulate, pieces of paper with phrases and lyrics, the beggings of songs of whatever. I came across an awesome tape too, paul oates some blue eyed soul- some songs that sung to my heart a few silly little tunes that are imbedded in my head that bring a flush of homely emotions to the surface. I also had a comprehension of life, whislt listening to the 37 minute long oxygen by jean michele jarre. Stuff do with life, where it's going how im going to actaully shift my everyday practises to a new location and feel comfortable, i need to constantly free my mind of the cloud of life pressures, anxitities and misunderstandings. I think some things will start to make sense soon, hopefully.

On the band. I really am going to spend a good few hours each week, trying to get good gigs, get in with promoters, and basically try and become a key figure in the leeds music scene, with the aim of the getting the band to be the most talked about in leeds. We need to do relentless gigging and socialising, and this is the acedemic year for it. we need to be at important gigs, and try get support slots under important bands. Bassically go for it really!

We got writing an awesome song on saturday that im incredibly giddy about, it's about planets and stuff, courtesy of some well thoughout lyrics by dan. We've got all the parts sorta ready but just need to fit them togather, which is the hardest part reallly. We're back on track with song writing, and we've got a lot to look forward to.

music:
tool,
frank zappa (danny started listening to him again, which has reinvented my interest in him, i kinda got quite far into listening to him, but no further than realising hot rats is his best album, but there's loadsa other good stuff he's done, it's just scattered about).
herbie hancock,
paul oates,
King crimson

Joseph x

Cheaper Greener Cleaner

2005-08-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

Well Leeds Festival was fun. I spent most of the weenend with liam, sharing your thoughts, experiences and drugs. We went through some real highs and lows. All the bands i managed to get along to were ace. The weather on the whole was ok and nobody within the camp ever got on ym nerves in perticular. But here is the but! Amongst the majority of the 70,000 people there at leeds fest were dressed as 60's throwback hippie types, i thought this was ace, as im an avid fan of the whole 60's thing, the attitude and the fashion, the only thing that bothered me was that people seemed to chose to adopt mostly the fashion and forget to follow it through with the attitude. Don't get me wrong i met some awesome people, there to have fun and speread the love, something i felt i needed to join in with by the end of the week. Sadly by then the atmsophere seemed to have deteriorated, riots, and general volience seemed to follow. I witnessed several fights bewteen riot police and festival goers, i got knocked to the ground once for being polite to a kind female riot officer, and abused for trying to stop the riots from progressing into our camp. I left amidst low droning thuds, explosions and air-born metalic objects on the sunday morning, through a rancid haze of plastic fumes and miscontrued enthusiasm. I passed two trees pushed to the ground and ripped apart, burnt out vans and a cider tent that had been obliterated, i felt like i wanted to cry, i felt the most of upset i have in felt in years, how could an event for music, something that is to be shared loved and used to bring people togather in harmony have been turned into an orgy of violence. By a rabble of drunken youths, people with disorientated fervour, a group of dim-witted and over exitted little testosterone filled boys. I felt like a enormous lucid blanket of right trying to comfort a small shotgun weilding devil child that was slowly loosing the plot. The whole irony of the troubles over the weekend where that throughout the day time our friendly neighbierhood security enorforcment taskforce, had their attention focused on raiding us festivalgoers of dangerous and illigal substances such as, weed,coke,speed,e,. But when it came to the night-time the people who where the foucus of the arrests and general trouble where the ones drunk courtsy of our favourite festival sponsour CARLING. I met many people tyhroughout the weekend on drugs, not to mention some that didn't even exist. And all of them where placid relaxed people, with the only intention of having a good time and sharing the love. I would like to thank all the people i met that weekedn for making an amazing experience, and funnyly enough the carnival people for providing sooooooo much entertainment on a night. I met some idiots, (i had my hat stolen) but i also met some good people and came away bigger and better, knowing i had contributed to the highs of other peoples festival experience. Liam and Ellen were great company, and so was the whole camp.

On to university and a new house in the next two weeks.
Mr Charming has much work, and i'm ready once again to put the work in. We're still going to be famous!

joe xx

Listening to:
everything i own. Underworld rock though!! so do CLOR!

Cheaper Cleaner Greener

2005-08-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

GrooveStealer Presents...

2005-08-31T02:34:00.000-07:00

I think it's about time we start to hype this properly. So:

GrooveStealer presents...

VATICAN JET
Mr. Charming
Funktion
Working With Kenzi

Josephs Well, October 24, 2005

All proceeds to Martin House Childrens' Hospice

GrooveStealer is proud to present an evening of live music, in aid of Martin House Children's Hospice in Boston Spa. The show, which is headlined by Vatican Jet as part of their single release tour, takes place on October 24, 2005, at Josephs Well in Leeds. Support comes from Mr. Charming, Funktion and Working With Kenzi.

The GrooveStealer website has been running for a while, with the team recently moving into music promotions, primarily at the Old King's Arms in Horsforth. Event promoter Lewis Denby said "We're really happy with the way everything's shaping up. It took a while to book the bands we wanted, but now that it's all finalised we're pleased with the lineup we have, and excited about the gig." He added, "Martin House is a fantastic charity, which Fliss (the event's co-organiser) and her family have ties with. The work they achieve is phenomenal, but it costs an insane amount to keep the hospice running - vastly more than their annual income. Hopefully we can help out."

Tickets are £4 in advance, and can be purchased from GrooveStealer. Please email contact@groovestealer.co.uk for further information.

www.groovestealer.co.uk

A Fun Game

2005-08-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

Shamelessly stolen from Rei:

Go to google. Type "(your name) is". Pick 10 cool ones. Post them.

1. Lewis is reaching for stardom
2. Lewis is known as a distinguished literary scholar and Christian apologist
3. Lewis is the greatest British boxer of all time
4. Lewis is a Newfoundland dog
5. Lewis is in excellent condition
6. Lewis is back
7. Lewis is among our last living connections to the civil rights era
8. Lewis is asked by President Jefferson to be his secretary-aide
9. Lewis is working on developing the propulsion technology needed to make a new high speed aircraft
10. Lewis is a person of whom the following can be said with certainty: If you have a meeting with him, he will be on time, with clockwork precision; if you are the tiniest bit late, he will start to get anxious almost at once; if he is in a discussion with someone who is talking nonsense, or peddling cant, he will make his weariness plain to his interlocutor (albeit politely); and if you ask him for his thoughts in his areas of expertise--the Middle East, Turkey, the culture and politics of the Muslim world, the relation between Islam and modernity--he will always be encyclopedic, original and as near to irrefutable as a man can get in a field that is so combustible.

Festival Photographs

2005-08-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

Joe, eating a tissue, whilst Ell plots the cameraman's death:

A rather good time was had by all except me, who had a bit of a disappointing weekend. Still, it had it's highlights. And I still stand by my statement that the guyropes on Ruth's tent were glowing bright yellow.

Photos, though.

Festival Farewells

2005-08-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Of course, Carling Weekend time is always welcomed, though this year loses the spark it had when I still owned my festival virginity last year. Now with two behind me, it's a somewhat more common and, as such, less novel occurance - combined with the stresses of getting everythnig organised this year - meaning I'm that tiny bit less excited.

Still. Fuck yeah!

Typically forgot to finalise GrooveStealer work for the festival, so I think it's going to be pretty much see who wants to do what once we get there. There are three GS regulars hitting the fields this fest, so there should be enough of us to do some at least mediocre coverage. Shame it's not going to be the summer of festival journalism I envisioned at the start of the year, but hey. There's always next season.

Results happen tomorrow, too, which is an interesting thing. I'm not particularly worked up about them specifically; it's more the combination of everything that's proving mightily frustrating tonight. Still, everything has its way of working out, doesn't it?

Good luck to Ali Whitton and iLiKETRAiNS, who both make their festival debuts this year, and deservedly so. I will try my absolute hardest to come down and support you both.

Mr. Charming gig Monday night, I believe. That will be absolutely mad.

See everyone then, anyway.

Local Time - Chapter One

2005-08-23T05:33:00.000-07:00

I don’t believe in fortune. Not any more. When you’ve tasted your dreams then had everything taken away from you piece by piece, you start to lose that aspect of faith. I should have seen it, felt it, smelt it coming from a thousand miles away. From the beginning of the journey. From the moment everything started to turn sour...

A new thing. Read and comment and, hopefully, enjoy.

Something's Wrong

2005-08-23T04:40:00.000-07:00

No, it's not really. It's the title of an absolutely brilliant comic from Kieron Gillen and Charity Larrison that's found its way onto the 'net.

It's here. And it's magical.

And you should all read it, right now.

Lewis Told Me To Do It

2005-08-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

Lewis keeps telling me to comment more, so I am doing.

Not to blow one's own trumpet here and not to go out on a limb to look for an argument, but it I have thought this for a while. Most of the songs that we always talk about been our best tracks I have had a lot of influence at some point....I think . Buddha Fantastic for instance was Joe's ideas, added to and subtracted from and then mashed together by me when Lewis was away one practice (Feeling in a controlling mood that day) to create the idea in full, before it was topped off by Lewis and his bass (Which is good thing ladies and gents). Furthermore, Whatever Flows Through Your Veins was 'directed', as such, by me; as was Skipping Stones (Although its fair to say Lewis had, magically, exactly the same idea for the song as me). Now are these songs a product of me taking charge and been all annoying and bossy, or have they all been conceived on a day when we were all on better terms with one another? Or, perhaps everyone else was knackered and I forced you all into working on something you didn't want to, as I sometimes do, and you ending up liking the finished product afterwards? - i.e. oppourtunity. Maybe a combination of all of them. I just sometimes feel that my input goes un-noticed because I can't invision a song like Joe and Lewis. If I am given all the parts to a song, I can construct it in a way that is pleasing to the ear because I feel I know what people want to hear in music and because I feel I know how to write music for an audience. But, when it comes to writing my own music I am not given the leisure of been able to have all of the parts played to me one after another and I can't step away from the sound, meaning I cannot do the same thing. I often feel that I am ignored as a musician because of this, because my ideas are not as instant or I lack musical knowledge or depth due to the fact its something I trust my insticts with rather than using a vast backlog of musical education. It always amazes me the way Lewis can just pick something up; he hears a song and he can play it. Joe can write these awsome riffs and hear what the drums, bass and vocals are all doing and come and just deliver his message. I am always trying to better myself and I am desperate to prove myself as a musician, not just an entertainer. Not that im saying im not happy with where I am, because I am. I love Mr. Charming. That will not change. Writing music with the band and playing with the band are the things in the world that really make me truely happy at the moment. So as long as that doesn't change, im happy with how things are - just a little over eager at times and not patient enough I think. I hope this isn't taken in the wrong way, I like the way things are.

Zikes

2005-08-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

So, I was just looking at Laura C's Paris trip photos and wanted to make a few comments....and what the fuck is this font....where is Tahoma when you need it. Anyway comments:

Firstly: What stunned me most was how much Rosie looks like her mum these days. On terms other people might understand: 'Its like WOAH!' (Because capitals are for emphasis these days, the poor reject exclamation mark).

Secondly: It appears that it was 'Dress like shit day' whilst they were over there, which is a bummer because I would have fit right in. Look, its like an explosion in a designer factory.

Thirdly: It looked like everyone had fun, which is good :)

An Invitation

2005-08-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

Right. An invitation for anyone.

Due to an utter lack of creativity on my own part, I've decided to write a series of short pieces based on any titles people can think of. Give me a title, and I'll write a piece with it.

So, get cracking. I'm cross-posting this at DeviantArt, RYL and LiveJournal.

Have fun.

Erk

2005-08-16T04:30:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night, Farwell Party are supporting us.

Love in Action

2005-08-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

www.loveinaction.org

Love In Action is a Christian organisation based in Memphis in the United States. Among other things, it claims that homosexuality does not really exist: it's merely caused by external factors bringing lustful urges to light. It's utterly terrifying.

There was, apparently, a program on television last week about this group, though this is not where I discovered the organisation. Ruth told me about the website, I did some research, and found myself genuinely worried about the concepts behind it.

Ergo, I write a really long email.

Dear Love In Action,

I'm aware that you probably get hundreds of emails every day, and that many will probably outline similar questions and views as this one. However, I would very much appreciate it if you could spare ten minutes to read and respond to this.

My name is Lewis Denby, I live in Leeds, UK, and I am a straight, non-Christian male. As such, Love In Action plays no part in my life whatsoever, nor do the views or ideals it expresses. I have never been affiliated with Love In Action or similar organisations; indeed, I was not even aware of the organisation until a few days ago. However, certain aspects of Love In Action International led me to decide to write this email, and pose a few questions and suggestions of my own.

The organisation obviously offers a wide variety of help, which is undeniably a fantastic thing. Many people all over the world suffer from life-altering problems and situations, and to know that organisations are available to offer support is fantastic. I have no doubt that the services you offer are, on the whole, exceptional in their field, and I have no problem with that.

My concern arises particularly over your ideals and beliefs about homosexuality, a state of mind that you refer to as 'a myth.' According to the Love In Action website, 'There is no such creation as a "gay" or "homosexual" person. There is only homosexual attraction and behavior.' You repeatedly imply that homosexuality is caused only by the evils of people's natural lust, brought to light by environmental and other non-genetic causes. But even if this is the case, why deny the concept of a homosexual person? To use a similar analogy to one you apply on the website, if a man steals something from a shop, they are a thief. You wouldn't say that the person had thieving tendancies or urges. You would say "that man is a thief."

As such, I must admit to being a little confused by your message. You claim to work with people to rid them of these 'sinful behaviours,' but there seems to be more than a little hypocracy going on. Now I by no means want to berate your chosen religion, as I believe that every person is entitled to their own opinions and views and I respect that wholeheartedly, but I would question your application of them. You state that homosexuality is caused by external influences and is not genetic or inbuilt, but it's precisely by the same method that you propose to 'cure' people. Is it not just as wrong that someone should be turned heterosexual through these means, as to be turned homosexual?

Moreover, one of the first things I noticed on your website was the slogan "Finding freedom in Jesus Christ." Exactly what freedom are you referring to here? One of the great beauties of the human race is that everybody is unique, and everybody is free to believe and behave in the way they want. However, you imply that the way to find freedom is to lose a portion of it. How is somebody free if they are being told that their way of life is unacceptable?

Regardless of your apparent confusion of messages, there seems to be another underlying problem here. Jesus Christ, it is widely known, loved everybody, no matter who they were. And yet you incessantly refer to homosexuality as a sin that will be punished. Exactly which parts of the Bible are you choosing to accept and ignore here? Yes, there are sections of the Bible that denounce homosexuality. However, the man around whom the entire religion is structured said that every person is equal and that no person's way of life is right or wrong - and, most importantly, that God loves everybody. Surely Jesus' own teachings would be the more sensible ones for a Christian to support?

As I said from the start, I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and as such I wholly respect yours. What concerns me is your inability to see others', and your insistance that your own are the correct ones.

I'm sure I can look forward to a prompt reply.

Yours truly,
Lewis Denby

Indeed, I do look forward to their response.

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

Meanwhile, following Joe's post last night, Mr. Charming had an utterly phenomenal band practice today. We got jamming, and within three hours had written an entire song, lyrics and all. Within five, we'd finalised the entire thing, played it through a few times. If you shout loud enough on Wednesday at Mixin Tin, you might just get an exclusive...

2005-08-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

I never thought being in a band would be so emotional. It's the biggest commitment of feelings i've ever made. When it's good it plugs my psyche and feels like utter gratification. But when it's not working it's so soul destroying. I don't feel content unless i'm in the midst of creating something better than the last. I kid myself for weeks on end, focusing on other things, i dunno nothing really, there really is nothing else i care about to that degree.

The other thing is writing a song. This may sound wierd but. In my mind it's all so simple, it's in front of me, and to write a great piece of music then add some complimentary vocals to finish a piece of work, should just happen. But to write in the same sort of style is hard, to write something that is meaninfull and can be played with conviction is the aim.

I think we've really achieved something with the song Buddah Fantastic, i love it from start to end, it's all good, i mean every note and everything falls into place perfectly. perticulally in the chorus with the lead vocals. i want every song from now on to be that good. im not going to settle for writing anything worse, we as a band have it in us. IT IS THERE. we just need to juggle everything well enough for us to be able to achieve that. I love the songs we've alreday written and im happy perfroming them as they mean something, they've taken on more meaning. I just know for us to go anywhere we're really going to have to push ourselves to the optimum level. I need to sort out more vocal melodies, dan has an abundance of lyrics, some of them in perticular im very impressed with and can't wait to use. BLOCK is bad, LACK of insperation is bad. No-one can be on fire all the time but i want to be! and im going to try as hard as i can to be. ARRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I am 100% committed to making this work. Because we have the potential to be amazing! It may take 2years it may take 10.

im listening to.
The mars volta
Steely dan
link wray
redbone
steve miller
jon and vangelis

Upside Down Man

2005-08-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in Leeds, I stumbled across a man on Briggate. He was upside down, standing on his head, in a bucket. He had a sign which read "Please donate all you can. I do this for a living."

Ten minutes later, he was gone.

Leeds is surreal. In fact, sitting at someone else's computer at quarter past 1, having not really been home for about two weeks, on my dad's birthday... my whole life is bizarre at the moment.

Socially indepenant

2005-08-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

Hrmm. Life is up and down it always is, but there's those times when you realise it more. I feel good now. I am currently watching my cat (dustin) devour a smally brightly feathered bird, a really beutiful little creature, but then again dustin is, he's so sleak and elegant, a killing machine that's capable of expressing effection. He rocks. Had a very up and down time in Amsterdam, made me realise that i work better by myself. or with no attachments unless they are ones i have really pushed on myself out of love. Very much looking forward to leeds festival, recent experiences have been ace, i'm going to uni soon, moving out up to hyde park (which has been an aspiration of mine for a while). The band is going well, been busy with other things lately so havn't down as much writing as such, but more often than not i find a screwed up bit of paper in my pocket or on the floor with an idea. I've joined Danny's band which has been incredible fun, doing promotions at the kings, got plenty going on i almost sound like lewis :-) . Also i have been hanging around with the friends of my age, that i'd kinda not bothered so much with for a while. I really enjoy liam, tom and chris's company again, i guess i just needed to realise that when someone is being quiet it's not my fault, or a consiquence of my company necesserally. the most i can do is be there for someone, but not let anyone else bring my mood down.

I know this bloggymathinky dosn't have music thing but i loved that feature so much i'm gunna fucking tel you what im listening to at the moment.

Faithless (No Roots)
Hendrix
Various Ambeint Dance artists.
Van Morrison
A lot of 70s SOUL. And a bit of MOTOWN
Santana
David Gray
The Steve Miller band
Steely Dan
Marvin Gaye

joex

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

2005-08-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

Went into town with Steph tonight. Wandered up to Ster Centruy (which has been bought out by Vue, like everywhere else) to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which is an absolutely magical film. It's not particularly true to the novel or the original film, but Tim Burton's artistic licence has run riot with the thing and made it into something exceptional. Johnny Depp and Christopher Lee both give particularly memorable performances, even if Lee doesn't feature nearly enough. Afterwards, as is the law on such occasions, wandered down to Sahara, which was unusually busy for a Sunday night. Good stuff, though, except when the music started to skip, which was just annoying. Booming African dance beats skipping is quite a bizarre noise.

Finished the Mr. Charming demo today, mastered and everything. Yay. That's been hanging over us for far too long. But it's done, and ready to sell almost. We *may* even have some exclusively exclusive copies to hand out at King's Arms on Thursday...

Updates

2005-08-05T03:37:00.000-07:00

Goodness, Cambridge was good.

Meanwhile, Dan and Joe have been residing in Amsterdam for a while - though I believe they return later on today. Since they sent me this adorable little feature, I thought it only rude not to share it with the world.

Gigs: 11th in Horsforth, 17th in Leeds, 18th in Bradford. Be, like, there.

Ten Cambridge Revelations

2005-07-31T02:05:00.000-07:00

1. Whatever you're drinking at a folk festival, it must at all times be called 'ale'. Any references to any other sort of alcoholic drink are strictly prohibited, seemingly.

2. However, whilst Pimms at £12 a pitcher may seem extortionate, it's fun to see if you can drink it all in 20 minutes.

3. We could.

4. The concept of an internet tent at a musical festival is both geeky and magical in equal measures. I like it muchly.

5. Sound engineers really should make sure the snare drum mic works before KT Tunstall goes onstage.

6. The best way to make friends with people is to invite them to sit under a tree with you when it's raining.

7. If you do this, they provide you with illicit substances for free.

8. This makes them VERY NICE PEOPLE.

9. Ale.

10. Idlewild.

Cambridge

2005-07-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow sees me head off for Cambridge Festival until Monday. Expect photos. And expect reviews in GrooveStealer next issue, clearly.

I may make it my project over the weekend to write something of substance. If I don't, it's because I couldn't be bothered.

I'm leaving the blog in good company. Rest of Mr. C: I expect to see this place lovely and updated when I get home.

Lots of love,
Lewis

Go Fuck Yourself

2005-07-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

In case you weren't aware of Carta Alterada, the Portugese pop-rock-grunge-something band we played with at Mixing Tin, then you're probably wondering why myself and Dan have greeted pretty much anyone who crossed our path in the last month with "Go fuck yourself." Carta Alterada closed their Leeds gig with a song of this name which, after a set filled with emotional-sounding Portugese material, left us close to collapsing with laughter. In a good way, you understand: anyone who ends on such a shamelessly outrageous note has to be commendable.

They're so nice, in fact, that they sent some of these photos across. It was a really good night: we played with regular gig-buds Working With Kenzi along with the fantastic Portugese fellas, and a headline band that turned up late and then fucked off again until their set, thus not getting a mention or any faces in the photos. Here's what you do get: memories of a truly brilliant night at Mixing Tin in Leeds. Go there. It's, like, really good.

One of those nice group photos. Mr. Charming to the left. Carta Alterada front and centre. Working With Kenzi (3/4 of them) back-right.

Joel (I think that's his name - correct me if I'm wrong, mate) of CA, myself, and Fliss of WWK.

Danny, claiming a hat from CA, and having it signed. Oh yes.

Spent the day photosessioning with Fliss, because we have egos like that. I'm sure you'll find the results flailing around the internet. Fliss is awesome: as such, an awesome day was had.

A Glimpse

2005-07-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

When one looks up at the sky, Hargreaves noted, it is possible to see all kinds of wonders. The clouds stare back from their flight, glancing over the hilltops and plains and whatever other land form happens to pass below. At night, the stars wink knowingly at those who make the effort to sacrifice just a few seconds of their time for appreciation. The moon nods as it watches. An entire universe in a single glimpse.

Hargreaves turned over onto his side and touched Mary on the shoulder. She tilted her head until her eyes levelled with his own, then, with a nervous and coy giggle, she spoke.

‘It’s a lovely evening.’

Hmm. I don't know what I think to this one, actually. Comment and let me know.

Interesting

2005-07-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4706913.stm

You won't find this article linked to from the BBC any more. They've taken down links to all the speculatory stuff posted yesterday - y'know, all the stuff that was way off the mark. However, this one stands out, being as it is an eyewitness account from a guy that was sitting on the train when it all happened.

Ignore his sickening inability to tell the difference between a Pakistani and a Brazilian, and read/listen. Particularly interesting quote: "He was sort of pushed to the ground, then they unloaded five shots into him."

Something still doesn't weigh up. I'm aware they're being told to shoot to kill in an emergency. I'm just not convinced this was one.

Condolences

2005-07-24T05:11:00.000-07:00

Bad Beat Revue's frontman Patrick Sherry died on Thursday following a tragic accident at their Leeds gig at The Warehouse the night before. I'd like to pass on my sympathy to the band, his family, and anyone else who knew him.

Some Previous stuff

2005-07-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

That sunday feeling again.

Jul. 17th, 2005 | 06:32 am
mood: peaceful
music: kool and the gang, manu chao, roy buchanan, peter green.

Ahh. yes it's sunday. A nice day if your very happy and content. A wierd day in which i seem to settle on an emotion by about 2 o'clock. I spend from 6in the morining to about 12 falling in and out of sleep feeling kinda wierd and going through lot's of thoughts in a half altered state. Went to the cockpit last night. and had a good time dancing, i felt really tired after a perticulally tough practise. which was plauged with dispruptions, due to a dispute with the far from pleasent neighbors. I always find when i get into a club i just wonder off, i can't stay with anyone, i really like just walking in-between the three rooms, and finding songs that i love to dance to. I hate men and i hate women. All i want is myself in a club. i amuse myself (people watching, i love watching people being happy, kissing, hugging, and dancing togather, it makes me happy to see people other people eloping). The music was quite good, and the drink was cheap, the only downside was it was way too hot. I'm really proud of danny of late,( well i'm proud of all my friends) but he's really started to punch out some good lyrics. pieces that mean something, and he's got the knack for ryming (something i can't grasp). I've not been writing many lyrics lately, i really want to but when it's not happening it's just not happening.

Im all too ready to start uni. All-though the closer it get's the scaryer it seems. I'm looking forward to pushing my world further from the norm. I mean spend more time doing the things that i love. I really need to be near some more colour, pysically (having my own space, that's bright and relaxing. And being nearer more colourfull people. i only get that with the band really. I have other friends, that i get on with. but some people just eminate more interest and happyness. one thing that i've wanted for a long time, is to really just let everything else go and become a hippy. but for that i need some people to be there with me to hold my hand, and go through everything with me. hopefully i'll find those people at uni. Danny said something to me which has stuck in my head quite well. Is that when u meet a person , (as blindingly obvious as it sounds) you just have to be yourself, and if that person dosn't get you, or you don't clikc. then so be it , don't spend time with that person.

The people i see and the Women i come into contact with seem too subversive, the looks that are exchanged hold too much underlying self-bettering. Not enough freedom, or any inclination that they're going to forget about what dosn't matter, and let go to life. Too much of a society not enough innocence, as i feel innocence can come with maturity. People are too afraid of not being liked. so much so that they don't let go and have fun. I let go, i have fun, and i'm constantly aware of people judging, but i'm gunna do it anyway! what i want is some more people to share the freedom of life with. some good souls, they's too many people that are masked, i'll know when i find some people that feel the same, as they'll stand out, like a light in a dark room. A big smile in the middle of a club, laughing by yourslef, with knowone that you know around no-one around that cares. looking stupid when your dancing and really REALLY enjoying it. Someone crazy, someone confident, someone happy.

I'm a blaze of contradictions, then again most people are.

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

Superbad

Jul. 5th, 2005 | 11:15 am
mood: indifferent
music: fleetwood mac - dreams, the who - who are you,

Wow im totally obsessed with a song called 'who is he (and what is he to you) - bill withers'. I seem to do this i can get really really high on a song, perticually if it's got a good groove or a really sweet bit of singing. I think i'm kinda coming to terms with what R&B means too, which is good. In that respect the rolling stones are making more sense day by day. it dosn't mean i like them yet but it's a start. R&B can just be a real diirty groove repeated over again, i love things that have a sinister or evil sound to them. I really would love to develop a style of dark funk, kinda downbeat and accusing as a pose to happy. mind you it's hard to get away from happyness when playing funk music, i feel mainly because hearing something groovy, just makes you smile. i'm incredibly happy with my new tat. It's great, it kinda makes me feel as if im wearing my heart on my sleeve and proclomation of what i feel is right and good. Plus it has pretty colours. Just finished kinda writing some new parts for a new song. It's very downbeat and kinda introspective sounding, although the lyrics will remedy that (i have some idea's, a grass snake is slithering around in my mind.) It's shaping togather well. sounding more like 'whatever flows through your veins' than anything else. Got stoned and walked on sunday, which was fun, havn't done that for quite a while, saw a lass i used to go to school with and she smiled at me, which filled me with an actual genuinly recived affection which was wierd. I see women everywhere but none of them make me happy. if only everyones minds we're turned inside out and arranged on the outside of thier heads. then i could see. I've really started to love my cat, it's really great to have something, an entity around that dosn't question, dosn't ask, but listens. it's also suprising how intuative they are. i love him which is cool, i have a lot of love to give and he keeps some of it fresh.

Self-Googling

2005-07-23T00:40:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more intriguing than self-Googling. Whack your name, project or association into the search box and see what happens. Habitually, you find a tonne of sites that you've created or authorised yourself, but far more enchantingly, often I find myself trawling through an abundance of websites that mention something to do with me - completely off their own back!

Example: tonight, I'm curiously/egotistically wondering if any pictures of me come up on Google image search. They don't, but as I click on one of them to find out exactly why my name appears on their website, I find this - which in turn somehow leads to this. What it is exactly I've still not been quite able to fathom out, but it does seem to strangely quote the opening of a horrendous concept review of Planescape Torment that I wrote back in my days at Resolution Games. It's extraordinary.

More pleasing are the results when bashing my name into a regular Google search. The entire first page is me - much of it music-related, some journalism stuff mingled in with it. Mine and Grace's website is up there in fourth place, which I think is fab. It's a wonderful world.

But, perhaps most excitingly, try doing a search for Solo Operations. Some of the older folk may remember my hand in the development - or, in other words, writing the whole thing, watching half the team disintegrate before me, and doing most of it on my own, before the same thing happened with followup Hybrid Theory and I gave up - of PC game Solo Operations. It was a game running on the Half-Life engine and license - a mod, if you're familiar with the term, which you will be if you're a lovable geek like myself - and it was, essentially, a bit shit. But hey! We were young, inexperienced, and a bit shit ourselves (except head level design fella Si Smith, who is sickeningly good at everything).

However, shoving this into a Google search lists a phenomenal amount of results, including including this one with an amusing opening line, this Spanish website, which seems to refer to it as a mod for 'Half-Quake', and, brilliantly, Czechoslovakian review, which a translation site tells me reads like this:

"Whereof that hither single player mod them? WITHIN wretch. Dalo by to say , that celou dobu jdete up near plus travel book dostáváte heterogeneity stints. No stalo to me , that jsem pretty well stint eke out captive , breathe jsem within quoin plus he about byl. Clearly stint achievement. Mostly somewhere shall something switch on , shutoff , eke out. Nejsvětlejší segment tohoto modulus them design map. The them yea povedený plus some quaffs are actually incredibility. Of course some to again sway nepovedli , not but that map city17. Mod area twain novel standard , some nové sounds , however nth moore. This episode them else altogether long , however nth sway nepobaví."

(The translation site claims to be the 'master of translation.' I disagree somehow.)

I am, however, the master of self-Googling.

Evils

2005-07-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

So I found myself, utterly randomly, standing up, nearly passing out, and ultimately vomiting into the downstairs toilet today. Having felt fine minutes before, and again minutes after.

I'm not sure, but having never taken it before today (more of a paracetamol man...), I'm blaming this fucker:

Peace and stuff.

Weird Machine

2005-07-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, that title does refer to me. Because, contrary to all possible logic and natural force, despite having my tonsils removed twelve years ago I have managed to contract tonsil-fucking-itis.

Woke up this morning literally unable to swallow, so forced myself up to the doctors to check it out. Who confirmed it was tonsilitis. So I told him I'd had them removed. He replied with:

"Well, they've grown back, then."

Fucks sake. So I'm on a course of antibiotics until next Wednesday, and myself and Grace have had to pull out of our Primrose gig this Saturday. Fudge.

Moreover, I can't fagging swallow.

Peace.

Throat Infestation

2005-07-21T00:39:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting here cringing every time I swallow because, well, it feels like my throat is infested by a thousand scorpions feasting on my larynx. Apparently there's something going round: Danny has a similar illness, currently, and I must say it's just not fun.

It's a shame because, on top of my intolerably sore throat, I also have a throbbing headache - probably not helped by my sitting at my PC at half past twelve in the morning - which prevented me from heading to the Love Apple to watch Working With Kenzi tonight. I believe Ruth went and crashed at Fliss' place afterwards, as seems to be the law when it's even slightly awkward to get home. I'm sure they were decent as always. Also, best of luck to moody psychedelicans iLiKETRAiNS, who had their Futuresound gig tonight. Definitely hope to see them at Leeds Fest next month.

In terms of Mr. Charming stuff, we've been on our arses for a little time now. The last practice was mental, consisting more of eating, visiting a rehearsal studio which turned out to have the most morky, dismal atmosphere I've ever witnessed, and running around Aimee's house with an entire drum kit. This weekend sees the final touches being put on the new CD, and the weekend after sees me bugger off to Cambridge Festival for a while. Should be fun, but means a slight slowdown with the band. However, a gig or few is/are lined up: the confirmed ones stand as August 18th at Love Apple, and October 24th at the Big Josephs Well Charity Gig Thing which myself and Fliss are really really trying to get iLT to headline. Also planned is a headline show at one of the GrooveStealer nights at the King's Arms in Horsforth, which Joe co-promotes. This would be a lot of fun.

And on a completely unrelated note, here's something I found on my hard drive earler. I have no idea what it is, nor how it got there, but... well, it's interesting at least.

Obligatory Introductions

2005-07-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

And at fucking last, we have something resembling a Mr. Charming blog. Phew. Only took us a year or so after the idea was conceived to actually get something going.

Enjoy, anyway.

Your humble bassist.