Duality

Let's cut to the chase: Great Men are going to be playing 2 shows in London this month and you and all your friends should come for the following reasons:

1. These will be our last shows for quite some time.
2. We're going to play a completely different set list at each show, covering our entire back catalogue between them.
3. You can submit requests for which songs you'd like to hear at each show.
4. At the gigs we'll be selling the last of our Springsteen VS Stallone t-shirts at the bargain basement, holiday season friendly price of £5 each!

Here's the lowdown:

On Thursday November 24th we've been invited by the excellent Motherhood to play at their EP launch at the George Orwell on Essex Road (near Islington and Dalston).

On Wednesday November 30th we're playing at Camden Rock in, err, Camden.

On Thursday December 1st we burrow into our warrens and commence hibernation.

Submit setlist requests on the Facebook events linked above, or on Twitter @Great_Men.

See you soon: bring friends, buy a t-shirt!

Tart Hoof

HOLD ON TIGHT! I have much to tell you.

We played a gig in London last week and with lightning quick, even haphazard, speed, and with little regard to the guitar malfunctions within, we've put out a download-only 6 track EP called Tart Hoof. You can even have it for absolutely free.



Our next appearance will be at Dashwoodstock 2011 in Thamesmead on Saturday October 22nd, at the totally rock and roll time of 4:30pm. Apparently loads of films were shot there, like Clockwork Orange and Harry Potter And The Den Of Feedback. When I say "next appearance" I really mean "next live gig" because, neither of us being invisible, we appear constantly.

Looking forward to November, we're playing at Camden Rock (not a real rock) on the 30th, details to follow closer to the time. We might also be joining our new friends Motherhood for their EP launch sometime.

In my ongoing quest to be a man who owns less guitars (ongoing parallel to my quest to be a man), my 1989 Fender Stratocaster, made in Japan with a humbucker and a Floyd Rose, and rewired by an idiot (hello!), is up on eBay. Get yourself a treat.

Regular readers will know that I love a photo of us out and about eating. Here we are in Ed's Diner:

See you soon!

Rocktober 2011

Wow is it already a year since our triumphant triumvirate of our Camden show with Ginkinta and Monsters in the Attic, our Shazam session, and our blood, beer and flames glory in Nottingham with Ulterior?

This October might not be quite so adrenalised, but we are playing in central London on Wednesday October 5th at The Comedy courtesy of Dead or Alive Promotions. We're aiming to record the gig so if it comes out okay and we don't have any massive disasters I'll put some stuff up for download soon. There's a Facebook event here.

It's been quiet here recently as I've been over in Sydney and R-man has been realising his dream of adventure on the high seas by borrowing a narrowboat. I tend to check in on Twitter when possible so do come and say hello to us there.

See you on the 5th!

A post about some gigs that happened recently

On July 1st we played a gig in New Cross, South London courtesy of Chamber Club. Due to some technical hitches it was something of a shambles, but a lot of fun and we were probably just more punk than usual.

On July 8th I saw banjo hero, and comedy legend Steve Martin, playing with bluegrass band the Steep Canyon Rangers. They were phenomenal and if you get chance I recommend you get down: great tunes, great musicians, great sound, hilarious banter.

If I were to list my top bands of all time the top 3 would probably be Queen, Guns N Roses, and Primus. Freddie's sadly long gone, Axl and Slash have yet to reconcile their differences, and Primus haven't played in the UK for 14 years. Until this month. My associates and I rocked up to Brixton Academy like giddy schoolgirls and had an awesome 2 hours. Highlights for me included Tommy The Cat, Over The Electric Grapevine, and Is It Luck?

About 6 or 7 years ago I saw one of the greatest gigs I've ever seen: They Might Be Giants at Manchester Academy (and was especially pleased to play on the same stage myself a little while later playing guitar with Swound!, supporting The Crimea). So when I heard they were playing just down the road from me in Camden I jumped at the chance to see them again, and was not disappointed. As my companion said in delight halfway through the show "this band has charisma!". Some of my highlights were Alphabet of Nations, Birdhouse In Your Soul (is there really anything more joyous than a room full of people united by a blue canary in the outlet by their light switches?) and, after spending the whole gig saying "I hope they do Fingertips", out it came for an awesome finale. MystEEEEEEEEErious whisper!

Finally Great Men rounded it off with a show at the legendary Dublin Castle in Camden. I recommend the Deuchars (trivia: a million years ago I was barman at a pub called the White Hart in Quorn; Deuchars was one of our best beers). By the way is everyone else digging R-Man's rock stance as much as I am?

"Jew!", Lies Giggs

Hopefully picked up a few tabloid readers off the strength of that title.

Great Men have 2 gigs in London in July, and being the generous folk we are we've engineered them to suit every demographic:

Friday 1st July - Chamber Club @ New Cross Inn
with Saturday Kids, Pet Scenes, Plantagenet 3 and Partly Faithful. This is on a Friday night, is only £3, and the party goes on as late as you like. Perfect for out-of-towners and Londoners alike.

Tuesday 19th July - Dublin Castle, Camden

with Peanut Butter Lovesickle, The Beast, and more. We're on at 8pm in this conveniently located venue in the heart of Camden. Perfect for working folk after a hard day at the office, and layabouts after Neighbours has been on. Bring a copy of the flyer below for 25% off the entry price!

We've also started the long, turning an aircraft carrier-esque, process of thinking about gigs in the Midlands and the North again. If you'd like to help us out in anyway, give us a holler. Cheers!

See you there!

Garage Sale

As you may know, in recent months I relocated from a vast palace in Nottingham to a pigeon hutch on a Holloway rooftop. As such I need to jettison some of my life. I figured I'd offer these delights up to y'all on here before putting them on eBay. Email great-men@hotmail.co.uk if you're interested in any.

Marshall B65 Basstate with Celestion speaker. Could use some TLC.

Fender Dual Showman 4x12 cab on wheels with outward angled front

Fender Dual Showman 100w valve head, twin channel with reverb. Beautiful and loud. Battle worn around the country with Swound! and Great Men and will do you proud.

Marshall JCM 1960 2x12 cab, used live once (An Evening With Great Men)

Jackson Performer Dinky Reverse from 1997 with Dimarzio Evolution pickups

Kay through-neck

Jackson Kelly Professional with GFS pickups - coil-tapped bridge humbucker and neck P90.

Things I've learned from the Cycle Superhighway

I was in a pub in London last night (really) and saw this poster about Transport for London's new Cycle Superhighway scheme. In just a few seconds it taught me more about this metropolitan 21st century life than I could ever learn from free papers or chick flicks:

1. People of all genders and races can own and ride bikes.
2. Black people are safer than white people.
3. Black people are faster than white people.
4. Black people are more vibrant than white people and reflect this in their choice of vehicle and outfit.
5. Women have baskets on their bikes, probably for make up, shiny objects, shopping and babies.
6. White men have the most important jobs and dress accordingly.
7. White men are so busy at their important jobs they can't even afford the time to change into suitable cycling clothes.

I hope having read this you are now as enlightened as I am.

I hope it's unnecessary to write this but just in case let it be known that the above is satire.

Return of the Son of the Space Octopus

Well it's been a busy week in Great Men's registered office here in Holloway.

We had our first high volume practice in months, then followed it up with a gig at Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes. Thanks to the folk that came along (including you Frank Skinner)! No photos have surfaced yet but I'll let y'all know when they do.

On Friday we sadly waved off The Fabulous H-Town Savage as she has gone to conquer the Australian music scene. We dealt with it in our own ways: Regan overcame his fear of heights and climbed to the top of some trees at Kew Gardens (rumours of faeces flung at passersby have yet to be confirmed or denied). Then we went and hung out on a wall in Hackney with that Scottish one from Ulterior and ate sausages.

The natural way to follow a night spent sitting on a wall was to hang out in a cemetery. Here's the proof:




The weekend rounded off with some CD shopping at the mighty Music Video Exchange in Notting Hill with Hugh Grant and that naked guy. Then we went to see Obzerter, Regan's very first metal gig. I'm not saying it was a revelation, but here's what he looks like just one day later:



By the way, did you know we have a YouTube channel now? We'll probably get shut down soon so have a look while you can.

Back Off Boris

After one too many traffic contraventions, the penalty charges have become too much and Boris Johnson has insisted I repay my debt to the red lines, traffic wardens and box junctions of London with some community service. I only know how to do 2 things: guitars and maths, and London long since stopped making things add up, so in the name of justice Great Men will be appearing as follows:

Thursday June 2nd 2011 - Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes. Courtesy of Criminal Records, along with Guitars Have Ghosts, Othereyeswise and Enteric. We're on at 8:45. The Dude abides. Facebook it here.

Friday July 1st 2011 - New Cross Inn. As part of Chamber club night, along with Pet Scenes, Plantagenet 3 and The Party Faithful. Facebook fun within.

Remember Rocktober? In between rocking Camden, Nottingham, and the Science Museum, we popped into Shazam's Live Lounge and played a spot of music. Here's some proof:

See you on Thursday kidz! And remember, Twitter us with any setlist requests.

Open Season

Having spent the early part of this year doing things like writing new material, releasing an EP (I've got a handful of copies left here cluttering the place up if you or your loved ones don't have one yet), mixing an album and moving house, we knew there was something we'd forgotten: playing live! On behalf of Great Men everywhere, I do hereby proclaim the 2011 gig season to be open, with the first rounds to be fired on Friday July 1st in London. We're delighted to have been invited to play Chamber Club in New Cross, which promises to be a lot of fun. Bring your friends, we'll have a brewskerino.

Any other offers for sweet rocking, anywhere on this planet or beyond, will be welcomed and considered with great alacrity. Also since we're now in the bewildering position of having more material than we can reasonably play at any one gig, if you have any requests for particular tunes, go ahead and tweet them in our face, @Great_Men.

I suspect we'll be selling some t-shirts at the gig, but to be sure we have your size it's probably wise to order online because we are pathetic weak men and can't carry much (barely even a tune, ZING!).

It is a far far better thing he does…

C-Bomb has always reminded me a little of Dirk Bogarde…nice hair, matinee idol good looks… fondness for the company of young men… and this resemblance has been highlighted by his pulling a Sydney Carton and leaving this earthly (midlands) plane and heading for heavenly holloway.

Fear not noise fans we shall endeavour to continue. Great Men now will have two base camps and plan to cut a swath across the riff landscape based on a Nottingham-London Axis of evil. Or more simply – London isn’t that far, email exists and we can still get stuff done.

Besides, we’ve just gone international with our first review by some Fabulous French Femmes at Cellophanesoundsfanzine.

If the translation is to be trusted – it seems they liked our modest attempt and promise further releases in due course so we can’t stop now! Hats off to Mdme Schroetter for the translation:

When the guys who recorded with Ulterior, and who admit to have Generation Terrorists on their car stereo sent us their EP this march, we thought they were nice and took some time to listen to their first release called Live in London.

Great Men, 2 guys from Notts, don't describe themselves as a band but instrumental rock essayists, and when we listen to the album, we quickly understand why.

Do not look at them for easy tunes or the sacred structure of verse-chorus-verse-chorus, the three tracks on Live In London are pure musical experiments.

Even if classic in principle (drum, big bass, noisy guitars), the music surprises, especially the total absence of singer, as much as because in the history of rock, the number of good bands who are purely instrumental can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

It's then easy to recognise the musical creativity of our two friends: the virtuosity of the bass competes with the solo guitar, and none of the tracks falls into the trap "17 min prog rock song to listen under heroin".

We especially enjoy Lady Cakes, the most successful and feverish track, with which the band clearly shows his taste for dark rock à la Sisters Of Mercy. The album, recorded in Shoreditch should be in store very soon.

Until then, we will read their blog, which proves that for an instrumental band they also have much to say.

Many Thanks to Cellophane Culture Sluts - Cloe T & Magali PF