Mixed, mastered, artwork'd up and ready to roll as soon as circumstances allow. Provisionally titled 'Rocket Silence', due to be unleashed next year sometime rather than the 2009 release date previously envisioned. I'm exhausted, but elated; and already thinking about Volume III. More to come...
Ben G.x
Several of we Sideshow bods were in Edinburgh yesterday: there to witness among other things the recording of a live Collings and Herrin podcast, wherein Messrs. Andrew Collins and Richard Herring did dissect some truly shoddy newspaper journalism, abuse the Scottish higher education system and make sexually suggestive comments towards any number of their audience.
We then proceeded to try and break a small business by sheer weight of demand, and before departing left a shameless bribe of toffee fudge cake and a box of Matlow's Stinger chew bars for the gentlemen (Collins is something of a cake-freak, and Herring professed his championing of the Stinger over all other chew bars as far back as 1994). Underhandedly, a couple of copies of our album were stuffed in the bottom of the bag, and the Sideshow subsequently made an appearance on the following day's Podcast # 79 (live!).
It is free to download - as are they all - so please check 'em out. A few random thoughts:
1. I'm quite chuffed they didn't actually listen to the record, and instead gently took the piss without bothering their arses. Seriously, this is wonderfully in-keeping with the spirit of their endeavour, and I am proud that we have been made even a tiny part of it.
2. That said, those black vinyl-style CDs look cool and groovy but fuck have they proved to be a liability. Andrew Collins has been a formative influnce on my musical landscape since the early 90's, when I used to sneak reads from my elder brother's Q Magazine collection: the man helped turn me on to The Wonder Stuff, The Waterboys, R.E.M. and a whole bunch of records and artists I might never have found otherwise. The fact that he had my own album in his laptop and ready to play but the fucker never worked is a wee bit galling to say the least.
3. I knew I should have gone for two boxes and not just one - still, now I know for next year...
Andrew Collins also gave us a lovely shout-out today on his very readable blog, Where Did It All Go Right? I will also give Richard Herring's blog - Warming Up - a wee plug here too, as I have been following him for over a year now. Of course, he doesn't know it's me who's been following him...
As I have intimated here before, I have been a fan of Richard Herring - and his former/still-occasional-when-they can-be-arsed comedy partner Stewart Lee since their old Fist of Fun radio shows back in the dim and distant mid-90s. It is good to see them both getting some recognition largely denied to them first time around, as along with Adam & Joe they are the true comedy link from The Young Ones and Vic Reeves Big Night Out to Spaced, The Office and beyond.
What has this got to do with The Smoking Rolo Sideshow, rock, and perhaps even roll besides? Only this: as a musician, if nothing else inspires you other than other musicians then you really are on a hiding to nothing.
So in summation to this link-tastic post: download the C&H podcasts (especially Podcast 79), and your life may be a little richer for it.
Ben G.x
P.S. We have also been working with the legendary Jon Astley this week, who among other things has produced practically every album by the Who for the last forty years and has won big shiny hanging-on-the-wall plaudits for his 'Led Zeppelin: Remasters' series. A very nice fella, and when he occasionally come out with stuff like "That sounds like something Pete could have written", it can't help but swell your head a little.
...all is calm and serene on the surface, while beneath the water legs are pumping like fucking billio. The new record is shaping up, and taking up practically every waking hour: even those wherein I am supposed to be fully-committed elsewhere, the thing is constantly bubbling away in the back of my brain. Since I hadn't updated anything here in a while, I thought a line or two to this effect would be in order: consider these those, and go about your lives once more...
Oh, one other thing: there was a video doing the rounds on the internet of a likeable chap sporting a terrific beard, reading from the press release of 'Mucho Mojo Baby'. It seems to have gone the way of Claude Rains wi' the bandages off - if anyone either knows the chap or can track down the clip, please email thesmokingrolosideshow@gmail.com and give us the nod.
Ben G.x
Another largely positive review from Judas Kiss Magazine. Who are lovely and I pledge to kiss every one of their bonny faces.
Top soundbite: "non contrived image free roots way".
Ben G.x
Some lovely person at Thompson House is obviously keeping an eye on the local scene, as this write-up/big-up appeared in the Sunday Sun music pages today.
(Click for big)
At last something my dear internet-phobic mother can wave at bemused neighbours...
Ben G.x
