yeah the last few days have been pretty sweet.
we played our best manchester show pretty much ever at the academy! killer sound (thanks fin), awesome lights and i had a lot of fun. was really cool to see some crowd movement during our set too! i think we've all been a little suprised with the good reaction with had from some of the blood red shoes crowd.
friday we played brainwash festival in leeds, headlining at royal park cellars. it was forward russia's last show for a while next door at the brudenell (same festival, alternating venues) so loads of people were about. it was great to catch up with some bands and folk and i had a good time playing. some pretty interesting events prior to the show:
1) on the way to the show we had a scrape in the van. alex got a bit upset (totally justified) but fortunately the van still works fine. the damage was purely superficial.
2) on the way to our friend robyns flat prior to the gig, some wasted guy was lighting fireworks in the street and having a wicked time. it was pretty funny until he put one next to an electrics box and it shot across the road and missed me an eva by millimetres. potentially catostrophic!
following the show we drove to joe n's girlfriends flat in edinburgh and slept, got up and drove to aberdeen. brutal.
Sunday 19 October 2008
Thursday 16 October 2008
DAY2 - LEEDS
after a pretty hideous day off, we played the cockpit in leeds.
having only played the small room a few weeks ago i was pretty up for returning, knowing we'd play to an almost entirely different crowd. the show was an early start/finish because of a club night and change overs had to be pretty prompt so we were on at 8.15. to be honest, it was possibly the most of enjoyed playing for months. there was just something about how everything came together. the lights, how it sounded, how busy it was, the response we got from the crowd. i can remember just looking up mid-headbanging and catching glimpses of the other tomassi's and seeing how much they were getting into it and it really made me enjoy myself all the more.
after the set we got the opportunity to catch up with our friends who are studying in leeds which is always an absolute treat. we did an interview for leeds student radio with our buddy graham which went really well. we got asked some really interesting questions rather than the mundane 'how did you form?', 'what are yr influences?' etc. so look out for that if yr in leeds!
we return to leeds on friday to play brainwash festival. i think we're headlining at royal park cellars. scary! i was disappointed to find out that dananananaykroyd had pulled out but its for recording so totally fair do's. im so pumped to hear their album. awesome.
having only played the small room a few weeks ago i was pretty up for returning, knowing we'd play to an almost entirely different crowd. the show was an early start/finish because of a club night and change overs had to be pretty prompt so we were on at 8.15. to be honest, it was possibly the most of enjoyed playing for months. there was just something about how everything came together. the lights, how it sounded, how busy it was, the response we got from the crowd. i can remember just looking up mid-headbanging and catching glimpses of the other tomassi's and seeing how much they were getting into it and it really made me enjoy myself all the more.
after the set we got the opportunity to catch up with our friends who are studying in leeds which is always an absolute treat. we did an interview for leeds student radio with our buddy graham which went really well. we got asked some really interesting questions rather than the mundane 'how did you form?', 'what are yr influences?' etc. so look out for that if yr in leeds!
we return to leeds on friday to play brainwash festival. i think we're headlining at royal park cellars. scary! i was disappointed to find out that dananananaykroyd had pulled out but its for recording so totally fair do's. im so pumped to hear their album. awesome.
Tuesday 14 October 2008
blood red shoes tour
DAY1 - portsmouth
got picked up from nottingham by the other tomassi's at midday. they were late but at the last organised pick-up i kept the others waiting for 2 hours so probably justified. portsmouth isn't as far away as id initially thought so we got there in reasonable time, did 1st day of tour things - introduced ourselves properly to the other bands and their crew etc.
it was cool to revisit a place we've only played once (at the pyramid centre with gallows earlier this year) and to know we'd be playing to pretty much an entirely different crowd. wedgewood rooms is a nice venue and fin and their inhouse monitor guy made it sound fucking massive. this was pleasing. im usually apprehensive about seperate monitor people because it usually sounds empty onstage making it much harder to enjoy but this guy totally knew what he was doing.
1984 seem like thoroughly nice chaps. its pleasant to be touring with a french band and their accents and the way they word certain english things are really cool. they described us postponing education to do the band as 'making an adventure' which i thought sounded very romantic. as romantic as fish and chips and becks can be...
blood red shoes were real nice to us and it was cool to see them properly for the first time having only seen them at leeds fest before. i dont really think you can judge a band properly on a festival set. but yeah, they rocked it. was also really cool to find out that reuben from johnny truant was teching for them. hes a nice chap.
we drove home after the show as today is a day off. this is my first time back since moving to nottingham last week and it feel foreign. had a pretty dry time as all my stuff is in another city!
roll on leeds tomorrow...
got picked up from nottingham by the other tomassi's at midday. they were late but at the last organised pick-up i kept the others waiting for 2 hours so probably justified. portsmouth isn't as far away as id initially thought so we got there in reasonable time, did 1st day of tour things - introduced ourselves properly to the other bands and their crew etc.
it was cool to revisit a place we've only played once (at the pyramid centre with gallows earlier this year) and to know we'd be playing to pretty much an entirely different crowd. wedgewood rooms is a nice venue and fin and their inhouse monitor guy made it sound fucking massive. this was pleasing. im usually apprehensive about seperate monitor people because it usually sounds empty onstage making it much harder to enjoy but this guy totally knew what he was doing.
1984 seem like thoroughly nice chaps. its pleasant to be touring with a french band and their accents and the way they word certain english things are really cool. they described us postponing education to do the band as 'making an adventure' which i thought sounded very romantic. as romantic as fish and chips and becks can be...
blood red shoes were real nice to us and it was cool to see them properly for the first time having only seen them at leeds fest before. i dont really think you can judge a band properly on a festival set. but yeah, they rocked it. was also really cool to find out that reuben from johnny truant was teching for them. hes a nice chap.
we drove home after the show as today is a day off. this is my first time back since moving to nottingham last week and it feel foreign. had a pretty dry time as all my stuff is in another city!
roll on leeds tomorrow...
Sunday 12 October 2008
blood red shoes tour...
after having a few days off, we go on tour again tomorrow!
dates are up here so check it out and get involved. we are of course very excited to playing again and to hit up some places we didnt make it to on the hysterics tour.
thats all for now...
x
Tuesday 7 October 2008
last day of tour!
ok, so essentially the notion of keeping a tour diary totally went to shit. it wasn't because none of us could be bothered but more that we were actually busy being on tour and enjoying all the amazing moments that the last week has thrown at us. i think sometimes its easier just to let things happen rather than chronicle them so desperately.
even so, here are a few concise highlights of the last few days:
- returning to a venue we played in leicester last year to 4 people and playing to over a hundred.
- fuzz club - in general an amazing show. both us and throats had a wicked time and destroyed the club night. some more than others (namely me....).
- being suprised by the turnout in cheltenham and meeting alex holy roars family!
- the company of throats and their crew.
- sams house and how excellent the food was.
and the lowlights:
- technical problems in hereford completely spoling the gig for us. i apologise to everyone who was there!
- getting thrown out of fuzz club. it was funny sort of but i was a total dick. apologies to the promoter simon who treated us brilliantly all night. sorry!
- the idiot who broke the microphone during throats set and then did a runner.
- tour having to end today.
we have white heat tonight then return home for a few days off before heading out again with blood red shoes. id like to say a huge thanks to everyone who has been involved with this tour on any level. all the people who came to the shows, bought our merch or just spoke to us after the show. we've had a fantastic first album tour and are itching for the second one.
cheers,
james
Wednesday 1 October 2008
hysterics days 7&8
DAY7 - YORK
today we returned to the junction. a venue we'd have a lot of fun at earlier in the year.
unfortunately, the day started on a pretty bad note. i recieved a phone call from stephen m!m! to be told that on their way back to where they were crashing after nottingham. they'd had an altercation in the street with some other folk and a fight had ensued. this resulted in their bassist luke breaking his hand/damaging some tendons in his hand meaning they couldnt make the show. shit times. we wish him a speedy recovery!
after the initial disappointment of them not making the show, we were again disappointed on the food front. i'd worked myself up to get wagamama. i was totally in the mood for noodles. having convinced the others it was a wicked idea, i asked the promoter if there was one in york. he said he'd never heard of it. burn. half of us ended up settling for one of the work chinese take-outs ive ever eaten. oh well...
onto the show itself, we were pleased upon returning to the venue that it'd filled up nicely. a couple of friends id not seen over summer had come so it was cool to catch up. we played and despite the chap doing lights not really managing to match what we were doing onstage, it was a lot of fun. during the last song we managed to get a human pyramid that touched the ceiling! amazing scenes. return to sheffield.
DAY8 - CAMBRIDGE
having seen them once earlier in the year, i was seriously excited to get throats on tour. cambridge was their first show and in the intimate portland arms i knew they'd totally kill it. i managed to get a sneaky preview of their tracks from the forthcoming split with the network (buy this from holy roar!) so was looking forward to hearing the new jams which, of course, did not disappoint.
following the show, we tried sorting out some party plans but to no avail. we returned to chateau spalding in derby and went to sleep. dry.
today we returned to the junction. a venue we'd have a lot of fun at earlier in the year.
unfortunately, the day started on a pretty bad note. i recieved a phone call from stephen m!m! to be told that on their way back to where they were crashing after nottingham. they'd had an altercation in the street with some other folk and a fight had ensued. this resulted in their bassist luke breaking his hand/damaging some tendons in his hand meaning they couldnt make the show. shit times. we wish him a speedy recovery!
after the initial disappointment of them not making the show, we were again disappointed on the food front. i'd worked myself up to get wagamama. i was totally in the mood for noodles. having convinced the others it was a wicked idea, i asked the promoter if there was one in york. he said he'd never heard of it. burn. half of us ended up settling for one of the work chinese take-outs ive ever eaten. oh well...
onto the show itself, we were pleased upon returning to the venue that it'd filled up nicely. a couple of friends id not seen over summer had come so it was cool to catch up. we played and despite the chap doing lights not really managing to match what we were doing onstage, it was a lot of fun. during the last song we managed to get a human pyramid that touched the ceiling! amazing scenes. return to sheffield.
DAY8 - CAMBRIDGE
having seen them once earlier in the year, i was seriously excited to get throats on tour. cambridge was their first show and in the intimate portland arms i knew they'd totally kill it. i managed to get a sneaky preview of their tracks from the forthcoming split with the network (buy this from holy roar!) so was looking forward to hearing the new jams which, of course, did not disappoint.
following the show, we tried sorting out some party plans but to no avail. we returned to chateau spalding in derby and went to sleep. dry.
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