Tuesday 15 March 2011

Guest Men

The many legions of Great Men fans who have been pining for us to appear onstage in 2011 got a taster last week.

First off on Wednesday it was our good buddies Ulterior's album launch party at the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen in That London. (I'm allowed to say that for 2 more weeks). The show opened with a cracking arrangement of the album closer Shallow Brown, featuring the inimitable harmonica and fashion stylings of Mr Regan Aloysius Naughton. It was a cracking gig and although I unfortunately couldn't make any of the other tour dates I gather there were also some sweet blues sounds from our man R-Man in Leeds and Nottingham.



Thursday was a pretty solid day: big breakfasts at Delicio's in Kentish Town (the finest cafe this side of anywhere), then we hopped on the bus to check out my new locale in Holloway. We got through 3 afternoon pints in the pub across the road from my flat so I'd say that's a result.

Then it was off to the Bowery for me, delivering another guest bass spot with Ginkinta. I do hereby proclaim it to have been a sweet gig. There was a great headlining set from Leeds rockabilliers (yes that's right) X-Ray Cat Trio, support band Fighting Fiction were spotted outside burning bibles (not really) and I'm not sure what the middle aged punks who came on first were called but they did their best to 'tood out as many people as possible before playing. I managed to play a whole set of bass without developing blisters! Look out Claypool!



Watch this space Great Men fans for not only are we discussing the possibility of actually playing a gig together, but I've just recorded guitar and machine on a demo of Magnum Myers which I'll share with y'all soon. So far it sounds like getting your face punched off in the 1970s.

Monday 7 March 2011

Sounds of the road, again

I recently pulled another pile of my continued listening out of the car, so decided again to share it with you. The internet is full of wonder isn't it?


Miracle Legion - Portrait of a Damaged Family
Miracle Legion - Drenched
Soundgarden - Telephantasm
King Crimson - VROOOM
Cake - Fashion Nugget
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja Vu
Gram Parsons - GP/Grievous Angel
Primus - Brown Album
Primus - Rhinoplasty
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Crypt Style
ZZ Top - Eliminator
Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
The B-52s - The B-52s
Primus - Frizzle Fry
Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster
The Aquabats - Hi Five Soup
The Steve Miller Band - Bingo!
...and all the pieces matter - music from The Wire
Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion I
Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion II
Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage Acts I, II & III
They Might Be Giants - The Spine

Thursday 3 March 2011

This and That

Happy March everyone!

Here are some things that are happening at Great Men HQ:

We finished our track Magnum Myers and have pretty much got another new one sorted; we're thinking of a superfluids related name, suggestions so far include Nathaniel and Superfluid or λ.

Hopefully we're going to record another live EP sometime in the foreseeable future featuring these tracks plus the hitherto unrecorded Staymaker (there's a demo of this on the myspace).

Excitingly I am moving to That London at the end of March! At which point it will of course be referred to simply as This London. Fear not though, you haven't heard the last of Great Men.

Speaking of London, might I recommend a rocktastic coming week: on Wednesday March 9th our good friends Ulterior are having their album launch at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen. Then on Thursday night I am once more guesting on bass with Ginkinta at the Bowery on New Oxford Street (formerly The Fly).

By the way the aforementioned Ulterior album, Wild in Wildlife, is tremendous and you should get it. Look out for a guest appearance from R-Man on guitar and harmonica.