#thesefourwalls10 and no, they still don’t have jetpacks

In my last post here on The Practising Troublemaker, I wrote about Duran Duran’s John Taylor and his autobiography and how it had been 20 years since I had become a full-fledged Duranie. Today’s post is all about another big anniversary: 10 years on since the release of We Were Promised Jetpacks’ debut album for FatCat Records, ‘These Four Walls’. The Scottish band were in our country for the last month to play a celebratory series of shows in celebration of the milestone.

Last Tuesday night, We Were Promised Jetpacks (who will be known as WWPJ going forward in this post) played U Street Music Hall with friends of mine Catholic Action, also from Scotland. Summer shows in DC are always tricky propositions: unless the headliner is a long-established artist with many years under the belt, most of the fans attending shows in DC are college-age kids, which means you might have trouble selling tickets. Being in a basement on a DC summer night isn’t great, either. Years ago, I covered the Gaslight Anthem for DIY in the same venue in July, and the heat was pretty overwhelming. I was glad, though, to see that many people packed out the venue for a band who had come such a long way to play for us.

Weeks prior to the gig, WWPJ announced that lead guitarist Michael Palmer would be leaving the band after their North American tour wrapped. I had first seen them a decade previous, playing as part of Brighton, England indie label FatCat Records’ tour in the autumn of 2009. I hadn’t known much about WWPJ before seeing them play that show at the Black Cat, the first of many times I would see them play live at individual shows and music festivals. (Sadly, following the demise of PopWreckoning, that review and its photos are now lost to the ether.) It was comedian Patton Oswalt (you know, the guy who voiced the cooking mouse in Ratatouille) who, during an interview on Fuse TV, tipped them and their video for ‘Roll Up Your Sleeves’. I hadn’t been with There Goes the Fear as their U.S. editor for long, but I knew in hearing the passion in tracks from ‘These Four Walls’ that these kids from Edinburgh were going somewhere. I just had to write about them! And we/I at TGTF wrote quite a bit about them over the years.

Ten years in our business is a long time these days. Many bands don’t make it past a few years, let alone a decade. I mean, consider Duran Duran for a moment. They’ve been doing this for 40 years. Any band with any sort of longevity in 2019 can credit the same few things for their success: hard work, great music, great songwriting, fantastic live shows, and devoted fans. In WWPJ’s case, I would argue that the rising of their own star in America contributed to a greater awareness of what was going on in the Scottish music scene for years to come.

It wasn’t that there weren’t Scottish bands worthy to be written about and covered by places like TGTF back then. In the early Noughties, Franz Ferdinand proved to Scottish bands that global success was possible. No, it was about having touchstones, reference points for those of us like myself who previously had next to none.

Three years after ‘These Four Walls’, WWPJ would close the rammed Scottish music showcase at Easy Tiger at SXSW 2012, the first of eight years I would attend the carnival of crazy. On the same bill were art-pop noiseniks Django Django, who were enjoying a wave of popularity thanks to BBC Radio backing. I met Django Django’s Dave McLean at that showcase, as well as BBC Radio Scotland’s Vic Galloway, who has since become a dear friend and resource. I have been to Scotland many times since, and I feel very at home there. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Scotland has, arguably, the most exciting music scene of all of Britain at the moment, and I don’t think I would have invested as much time in Scottish indie if I hadn’t watched the video for ‘Roll Up Your Sleeves’, did my research, and found myself rocking out to ‘These Four Walls’.

I was well past any teenage or even twenty-something angst when I popped this CD on for the first time. Yet what struck me most was the aggression of the music, matching the tormented shouts of frontman Adam Thompson. I have never been the kind of music fan that enjoys the Bob Dylan-y, guitar-toting troubadour on a stool telling me stories about his life. The reason WWPJ’s debut album works so well is the immediacy of its singles: the aforementioned ‘Roll Up Your Sleeves’, ‘Quiet Little Voices’, ‘It’s Thunder and Lightning’. These are songs to yell along to at the top of your lungs in a cathartic rage. I wouldn’t call the album punk, for there are songs like ‘Conductor’ that have that garage-y, folk-y thing going, while ‘Keeping Warm’ is an 8-minute opus with an extended instrumental. The album was a statement of intent: here we are, we are Scottish and proud to be Scottish, and we're going to make the music we want to make. They were young and hungry and more importantly, it worked.

I think it’s important to note, too, that despite receiving a 6.7 from Pitchfork, ‘These Four Walls’ surpassed the average music critic’s expectation, or perhaps I should say the band did with respect to music listeners. It was word of mouth and fan devotion that kept WWPJ viable as a band for so many years. I told so many friends about them and talked them up on TGTF, which I am positive ‘sold’ them to American fans interested in British music. How to break music in 2019 is very different than how it was done successfully in 2009. I’m definitely sad that Michael and his monster riffs will no longer be a part of WWPJ, but I am pleased they will be continuing as a band. They are truly lovely people, and they should be rightly proud of the legacy they have built for themselves and all the fans they’ve picked up along the way. Rereading my 2009 Bands to Watch on them, I feel honored that I played a small part in their journey, that I gave a helping hand to a band I heard so much promise in.

baby We Were Promised Jetpacks
(I'm gonna guess I nicked this from their Facebook at the time)

😁😂 @wwpj @uhalldc tonight. Apparently my reputation precedes me because they remembered who I was as I rocked up. 👍 #editorlife pic.twitter.com/ouwauPvzRx

— Mary Chang (@theprintedword) July 31, 2019

when lighting is not a blogger's best friend

I generally do not use this blog as a place to rant but reading my TGTF email gave me pause today, from a commenter named "Paul" in regards to my recent DC9 Slow Club live review:

"Mary- turn off you [sic] flash. It's rude."

I've had a look through all the photos I took that night. Of the 94 photos I took of all three bands, 5 were with flash. This comment is particularly annoying to me because I was not being annoying and using flash for every photo. What was the problem then? I can tell you the problem. DC9, due to its size, isn't large enough for professional lighting rigs. I can usually get away with no flash at the 9:30 Club (look at this Erasure live review as an example) because the lighting onstage is enough to light up the bands on stage.

I realize flash is annoying not only to the artists but also to the fans. If I didn't, I would have used flash on every photo. Did I? No. When possible, I try to use whatever lighting is available, and try to make up for it with the exposure settings on my camera. The provided lighting ALWAYS makes a photo look better compared to one with flash. I'm no expert but I've gotten some good shots over the years that I'm proud of, so I would consider myself a functional gig photographer. Provided I get to the gig early enough to be up front.

That said, I would like to point out something about the way I blog, and how blogging is done in general. There are three types of people who cover live gigs:

• people who contribute only writing to blogs, so when they cover live gigs, they only provide a write-up
• people who only take photos and don't do any write-up (general professional photographers, some of whom actually get paid by print or online publications)
• people who take photos and do a write-up (very rare' some are like me and aren't using fancy SLRs, and even more rare, the folks with fancy SLRs that do awesome write-ups: not common at all)

I give as an example the photos taken by a photographer of a DC-based blog at the same show. Her photos are better than mine: that should be expected as she's a photographer and has a way fancier camera. I'm not. Peter, if you think I used my flash too much, you should bring your complaint up with her also. She also used flash but for *every* photo. I should know. Half the time she was either in front of me or near me and I tried desperately to look away from her when possible because her flash was going off. I'm not even counting any of the other fans who were there, taking photos with flash also. It happens.

I don't really care if someone doesn't like my photos. Feel free to rip on them all you want; I take photos at gigs not because I have to, it's because I like to and it's for the promotion of bands. That's what each of the three types of contributors above are trying to do.

The reason why there are better and better bands coming to DC as the years go on? It's a direct result of what we bloggers do. Have a problem with what I'm doing? Come and see me about it. But I doubt you would, would you?

day 03 - a song that makes you happy

Delphic - 'Halcyon'

this is actually not my favourite song on Delphic's debut 'Acolyte' (that honour goes to 'Submission'.) no, I chose this one because I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking, these guys are not half bad. Matt Cocksedge's guitar solo is what sealed the deal for me: this band had seemed to get the marriage of good rock and good dance together perfectly. a couple weeks later I would see the promo video at DC9, shortly before VV Brown performed for us. the video was breathtaking: the right amount of mystery and intrigue had me hooked.

months later I would see this band perform it live in all its glory at Roskilde. it's all very surreal that I can now count these fellows not just as heroes but actual mates. I have such a crazy yet amazing life.

2011 in review, with a heavy heart

I haven't posted here since the Stone Roses reformed (no North American dates YET, those wankers), and that was a long time ago (over 2 months ago) but I've been busy.

• starting at the end of October 2011 TGTF became the Guardian Music-endorsed TGTF, showing up regularly on their "Best of the Music Blogosphere" blog roll. (at the time of this writing, my Top Gigs of 2011 is still sitting on their blog roll, which is pretty cool for Casiokids, Dutch Uncles, White Lies, the Joy Formidable and the Coronas, b/c they got attention I'm sure they weren't expecting.) in early December I was asked by two members of Delphic WHY I was still hawking TGTF badges on my holiday in Manchester and the answer was, "we are now the Guardian-endorsed TGTF, I have a reputation to protect!" this included making sure we had plenty of not just content but GOOD content for them to choose from. which meant many, many late nights for me.

• speaking of that holiday, I was away for my birthday in England for 16 days but was ill for 14 of them. so my plans to do a lot of poetry and songwriting went by the wayside of trying to stay in as physically fit as possible state for 10 gigs, hanging out and drinking with friends and colleagues, a lot of sightseeing-related walking, and travel between 3 different English cities. to say I was wiped by the time I returned is an understatement. somehow though I managed not to take a single day off work since I returned. (yes, I am such a good little employee.)

if you were wondering what those 10 gigs were, they were:

• Dutch Uncles Now Wave show (Fiction supporting) - 02.12.11 - Deaf Institute, Manchester, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Example (Fenech-Soler supporting) - 01.12.11 - Apollo, Manchester, England
• Exit Ten (A Thousand Autumns, Tomorrow We Radio, and Fei Comodo supporting) - 29.11.11 - Fibbers, York, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Billie Butterfly fund 'Magic in the Air' charity show featuring Everything Everything, I Am Kloot, and Badly Drawn Boy - 28.11.11 - Comedy Store, Manchester, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• City Reign EP launch (Stella Marconi and Modern Alarms supporting) - 26.11.11 - Gulliver's, Manchester, England
• Blonde Louis homecoming show (Monaco Bears and Camus the Cat supporting) - 25.11.11 - Plinston Hall, Letchworth, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Cashier No. 9 (Kowalski supporting) - 24.11.11 - XOYO, London Old Street, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• Pete and the Pirates (The Catcher 9 supporting) - 22.11.11 - Buffalo Bar, London Islington, England
• City Reign (Wire Trees and Ulysses supporting) - 19.11.11 - Bull and Gate, London Kentish Town, England - my There Goes the Fear review
• I Dream in Colour single launch show (Heroics and Anchor and the Dove supporting) - 18.11.11 - Bull and Gate, London Kentish Town, England - my There Goes the Fear review

• I got to interview Marc Riley for TGTF inside the new BBC in Salford and who should walk in but Stuart Maconie?!? hugs and photos ensue. I never could have predicted that happening. I'm still amazed thinking about it. and he remembered me from my letters and me Tweeting him? what are the odds of that?


• going back to the Guardian coverage, we suddenly had a lot more interest from potential writers. I am finding this good and bad. it's great to have interest. but gee whiz, if you plan to contribute somewhere, be sure you respond to your editor's emails. I can only assume you don't care or you're too busy to respond - and therefore not a good fit - if I don't hear from you. that has been pretty frustrating: maybe because I'm a woman, some people think I'm a pushover. not in your life. but I've picked up at least one good writer who is a friend of a regular contributor, so that's good...


• but I can tell, it's a tough road ahead in 2012. I'm trying to not let this spectre of being tops in the Guardian's books hang over my head...like it already is. it is hard being me. I don't think anyone realises how much I put into the blog, how I sometimes lie awake at night thinking about how to make the site better, how to help my writers achieve their dreams, how I'm going to start a new campaign to promote a fledgling band I believe in and how exactly I plan to do that. I didn't mean for it to happen, but the blog has become my life. I'm not whinging: I'm very proud of what TGTF has become under my leadership and we still have leaps and bounds to grow and become even better. it's like when Elvis was saying he was jealous of the Beatles being a group: when you're the person running something big, you can have lots of supporting players, but no one but you knows the pressure of keeping things in tip top shape. and it is a lot of pressure.


• it's become very clear that one important thing has to happen before I can even *think* about leaving America for England. and that thing - something that could actually happen, versus something that will never happen, like me getting cured - is not going to happen anytime soon, so I think I can kiss my dream of living in England goodbye. and surprisingly, I'm okay with that. I had such a violent shock to the system on this trip that I'm not really sure when I'll return. if I do, I'm guessing it will have something to do with my dear friend Matt Abbott, whose presence I miss daily.

I'm going to work on trying to post more here in 2012, starting with one of those a "song a day" memes. I already know it's going to be tough work - not for the posting aspect, but for the choosing of the songs.

I learned something important this year, which I should have already predicted from the pain I experienced some 399 days prior. something still weighs so heavily on my heart, after the knife went in and then was twisted. it is so big it threatens my mental acuity, my health, all my future relationships. I can be in a public place, in the middle of a crowd, on an airplane, in an elevator...and I will start to cry. it's not right. everyone says I'm so strong; if only they knew. this is me, after years of fighting like my father said I would always have to. sometimes I am tired of fighting and being the strong one, I need someone to lean on. and the one person I want to lean on...I can't. he has no idea...and I have no way to tell him.

sometimes I feel like it is going to engulf me like a huge, oncoming wave with no warning: cold, painful, unrelenting. and sometimes I don't care that my life would end if it did. sometimes I just pray at night that my eyes will not open again, because then I could be sure all the pain would dissolve.

you can have all the right words prepared. but they are useless if you're never given the opportunity to say them.

Brother visiting on Tuesday

not my own brother. that almost never happens. (my brother lives on the other side of the country.)

no, I mean, Brother, aka Viva Brother, aka Brother UK.

I have considered taking joke-suggestive photos with these boys. that is all.

I will say this: I wish my birthday was in May and not in November :(...

music piracy - what does it mean to you

*note: there was no Roundtable this week b/c Lammo is at Glasto (obviously) and you couldn't pay me to listen to who's standing in for him *cough*Andrew Collins*cough* so that's why there is no Roundtable for the week of 19/06. just an FYI.

so last week when I was seeing Noah and the Whale - who BTW had an absolutely blinding performance at the 9:30, I couldn't believe I was seeing the same band! - a girl next to us was asking how I got my photo passes, complaining that staff had confiscated her DSLR and that they were being mean. I held my tongue firmly in cheek and didn't say (though I was perfectly in my right to), "I work hard for them." instead I explained that I ran my own music blog. then she started saying some things that probably common sayings among young people, but I was just appalled.

she was saying that on a journal Web site that shalt not be named she could get free albums from other people and that's where she got almost all her music.

you don't want to know what was going through my mind after that. you don't want to know. really.

I'll say now that I don't *mind* that much if you're trading with your mates your favourites to share music, b/c that's where we get good music tips, your best mates. but very rarely. I don't even do this, even though the number I have is insane (both digital and physical) and there's a legitimate reason why I have these. I don't really buy music anymore, b/c when I want to hear something, I ask for a review copy and review it. that way I've given back to the band somehow.

I think young people don't realise what all this illegal downloading is doing to music. I have this discussion with many of my friends' bands, bands that are not at the level of U2, Coldplay, or whoever else, who depend on album sales maybe not for the actual cash but for survival with their label.

while I can relate to young people being skint - I never got a regular allowance myself - it's called saving up. I didn't have enough money of my own to buy my own albums until I was 10. I suppose theoretically, as long as you're old enough to see the computer screen and click on things with the mouse, you could get whatever you wanted, couldn't you?

and I never stole any music as a kid either. the Web makes it far too easy, unfortunately. I used to say my purpose of being a blogger was to get people to gigs in Washington. but now maybe it is a crusade to get people to realise that the music you're stealing is someone else's baby, the product of their blood, sweat, and tears. how would you like it if someone just walked into your house and took something that belonged to you? and spread it around the world?

I'm so sorry

I haven't posted in over a month. apologies. I feel just terrible. I've just been so busy...there's really no one good excuse, so I might as well bring out the whole list...

• three different band interviews that had supposedly been shored up weeks prior were cancelled last minute (which is a pretty bad feeling, let me tell you)
• I couldn't go to a sold out show b/c the manager of one of those bands never touched base with the PR I was working with, so I never got a ticket (fail)
• a schoolfriend's child died (that practically killed me)
• busy sorting materials to give away and organising things for writers at the Great Escape in mid-May
• trying like the dickens to FINALLY get into the print edition of the This is Fake DIY magazine, after having two different pieces not make it in the inaugural issue (:/)
• I've been listening to Steve Lamacq's Roundtables and have not been impressed enough with the songs up for review to write about them

but there has been some good:

• met White Lies, finally (after over 2 years)
• met/interviewed Friendly Fires again (happily this was BEFORE Ed Mac had to be hospitalised :/)
• have been listening to some great albums, like the new ones from Tom Vek, Is Tropical and Wolf Gang and getting inspired
• requested time off in November so I can holiday in England and party with mates over there

hmmm. that doesn't really seem like much of an apology, does it? sorry about that. we'll see if this week's Roundtable fares any better and make this week and maybe I'll write about.

hope you're all well.

M x

sorry is the hardest word...

I've been so harried running to and from things and having to travel out to the foreign land known as California for the job that pays all my bills that I've missed the last 2 Roundtables. I feel terrible :/ hopefully I'll be able to review tomorrow's St. Patrick's Day edition (17/03) and somewhat make up for it.

I'm sort of obsessed with this song by the Joy Formidable. they're one of my favourite live bands as of late (seeing them next week at the Black Cat) and this song, 'The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade', sums up pretty much what should be the healthy end of a relationship. but we all know it's more difficult than that. ::frown::

to anyone who's ever suffered a broken heart...this song better than anything I've found shows that you are not alone. and you will come out on the other end of this terrible event in one piece. and stronger.

AH-OH-AH-AH-OH - Two Door Cinema Club rocks out the 9:30 Club

so my favourite Irish boys Two Door Cinema Club were in town last Thursday night to entertain us. along with them were Tokyo Police Club (Canadians from Ontario) and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (Americans from Missouri) but for me, it was all about Two Door.

you see, I've known their music since before xmas 2009. I/TGTF was the first blog to have written about them, that I'm aware of anyway. certainly one of the earliest mentions of 'Tourist History'. I wrote previously about our first meeting in April 2010 here and here. since then they've skyrocketed to fame and it couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of hard-working guys from a little town in Northern Ireland who dreamed of being massive one day.

well, they've arrived. selling out American venues is a big deal for a band from a town thousands of miles away.

PW review (I compare the whole thing to a three-course dinner, including Two Door as the best curry you've ever eaten in your life)

TGTF review

Friendly Fires returns

the boys from St. Albans were my favourite band of 2009. and they're ba-ack! 26 May 2011 at 9:30 Club, finally returning to DC after 2 years - about bloody time!

read more here on PopWreckoning

why haven't I thought of this before? best idea for a tour ever...

according to a chat I had with the exceedingly intelligent and lovely Matt Cocksedge of Delphic, Squib Swain does lighting for both them and Two Door Cinema Club.

so last night when I was driving home and listening to 'I Can Talk', I was thinking...why not have...

the AH-OH-AH-AH-OH / AH-EE-AY-OH-AH-EE-EE-AY-OH tour

the posters alone would be amazing. they could get placement on Sesame Street.

this is completely copyrighted by me, 'natch.



disclaimer: there is no such tour planned, though it's not from lack of interest on my part. I've tried my best to get the ball rolling on this!

2010 in review

I had a think the other night when I was lying in bed, you know, that little twilight time Macca describes right before you fall asleep and strange thoughts come into your head. (at least that is his explanation for 'Yellow Submarine'. a likely story...) and thought it might be nice to have a "best memory" of each month of this year.

January - this is a tie: 1) standing in front of Johnny Marr, jaw on the floor, as he played with the Cribs at the 9:30 on 19 January. he really is that amazing on guitar. and 2) interviewing We Are Scientists backstage at the Black Cat. they are so, so funny. and I got to enjoy the gig with my good friend Catherine, who enjoyed their show even she had no idea who they were / what they sounded like previous to the gig. score!

February - this is probably going to sound a bit strange, but the highlight of February was seeing Delphic's 'Halcyon' video in all its full colour, wide screen glory on a tv display at DC9, 19 February. I had only ever seen it on a computer screen and being able to see it in front of me, huge, brought a smile to my face. that and MB and I were singing along to it and dancing to it like loons, even though no one else there had a clue why were acting that way. (ohhhh, the ignorant!)

March - watching the xx play a sold-out gig at 6th and I Synagogue, 28 March. what a gorgeous, intimate venue to see such beautiful music being played.

April - witnessing Two Door Cinema Club's debut appearance in Washington, at Constitution Hall, 26 April 2010. they could have been scared and apprehensive playing one of the bigger stages in DC, supporting heavyweight Phoenix, but they showed no signs of worry. they were friggin' amazing. I was happy I wasn't the only one dancing along to their tunes but golly, just 5 months prior I'd received a sampler from Kitsune with 5 tracks of theirs (absolutely loving them) and now I was getting to see them live.

the best part was afterwards, when I went right up to Kev Baird and said hello, showing him I knew who he was (he was very surprised!) and when I gave him my business card, he said, "IT'S YOU! you're the woman who writes lovely things about us!" and we hugged. since then I have been sending friends to see them all over the world, and the band know this, b/c inevitably, they meet my friends after and they say, "Mary sent me!" haha

May - Laura Marling at Iota (16 May). I'd just come back from Philly seeing Two Door and was feeling ambivalent about this gig - I'm not a big fan of hers. live, she is WOW. how is it possible someone so young has so much talent?

June - meeting Conor O'Brien (Villagers) and seeing him do a solo show at DC9, 21 June. I wasn't sure if it was such a good idea going to this gig, just days before I had to leave for Denmark, but I am so, so glad I went. we had a nice chat. he wanted to know about me b/c I had said I had learned about him from Steve Lamacq (um, of course!)

July - Roskilde. professionally, this was a major coup, being the only American invited to be an official blogger for the festival. (seriously, I now get the "you went to Roskilde???" gasp from most bands when I tell them I saw them there. probably the best gasp was from Dougy Mandagi of the Temper Trap, whose mind was blown when I told him I had stood behind him as he smoked during the Kissaway Trail's set at Odeon and since he was chilling, I didn't want to bother him. this discussion went on outside the Boston House of Blues, see September.) I saw so many bands gig there that I may never get the chance to see in my lifetime, and I feel truly blessed for the opportunity. personally, I met two English musicians who I think will be friends for a very long time. if their band doesn't get too big and they forget the little people that helped them at the very beginning of their world domination, that is :)

August - I bought my first amp! it's only a practise amp but it signalled my first real foray into bass playing. I am teaching myself how to play electric bass guitar - I started the week after I got back from Roskilde - and it's become a wonderful hobby. I used to sing alto in the school choir, so it's coming pretty naturally to me to play a harmonising instrument than a lead melody one. also of note: I have learned how "sensual" an instrument the bass guitar is. (and yes, that is all I will say on that subject!)

September - travelling to see Temper Trap and Delphic in Philly (26 September) and Boston (29 September). such great shows. forget the money and traveling, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat for similar amazing experiences. probably the two best moments were 1) interviewing Matt Cocksedge of Delphic, b/c he's such a funny, intelligent, and talented guy and 2) getting hugged by Dougy Mandagi after the Boston show, he'd had such a high after meeting a large group of girls from Indonesia (where he is from) who had travelled all the way to Boston to see their show, because up to that point, they had not played in his home country. I am really glad to have seen them before they start playing stadiums, b/c I'm sure that's where they're headed next. Delphic had a good if not great reception, which is pretty good, considering not too many people know who they are on this side of the pond (hope this will be rectified soon, b/c I've tried my darnedest to promote them over here).

October - seeing the tragedy of DC9 scared the heck out of me (it took a couple weeks before I would even go back downtown again) and First Aid Kit's show was cancelled (boo), the highlight of the month was seeing Delphic there on 8 October, a week before that drunk guy got killed outside the club, is bittersweet.

it had been pretty much a perfect night, the weather was wonderful to hang out on the rooftop bar. (nearly) all my local friends had come for the show, and they were not disappointed. even weirder, one of my cousins was there celebrating a friend's birthday (I had not invited her, she just happened to be there and was surprised to hear there was a band playing that night). before the night was out, I'd introduced her to Rick Boardman - her first rock star encounter (insert proud older cousin smirk here). before the band left, we were able to have a moment with them for catch-up so I could wish them well for the second part of their campaign across our continent. there was mutual appreciation and hugs all around.

aww, now I'm getting teary-eyed! haha.

November - two things. 1) emotionally, I needed to see the Script at the 9:30 on 2 November. (don't you dare laugh.) a lot of people think they're too commercial but I like their sound and they are v. good live. I was amazed how the crowd sang along to every song. what a great night. however, 2) I also needed a good rocking out / kick in the pants this month, and that was delivered by the Joy Formidable at Black Cat Backstage (11 November). it is with some amusement that I remember almost getting hit in the head several times by Ritzy Bryan's guitar. haha.

December - interviewing Brian Briggs of Stornoway at the Black Cat and telling him how much 'Beachcomber's Windowsill' meant to me, and he was touched. before I left the venue, the whole band signed a set list for me, "to Mary, with love from Stornoway, and thanks for the praise online! Oli, Brian, Jonathan, and Rob". I feel very grateful that my "job" allows me opportunities like this.

I am now looking forward to seeing what 2011 brings - more amazing gigs, interviews, and meetings, surely, but I also wish for love. blogging as a single woman is a very, very lonely experience. you just don't know how lonely it is until you actually do it for 2 years and go to most (if not all) gigs by yourself. everyone else is at a gig with their significant other, or at least their friends.

I've travelled alone to all sorts of places for gigs and I wouldn't trade the experiences I've had in places near and far, meeting bands and seeing them gig. but most of the downtime, wandering around an unfamiliar town, is pretty lonesome. it'd be nice to find someone who loves music as much as I do and be able to share that important part of my life with him.

well. it is time to bid adieu to 2010. if you are in DC, London, Manchester, New York, LA, or further afield...I hope you have exciting plans for tonight to say goodbye to this eventful year.

roll on 2011! and happy new year!

Mary x

top gigs of 2010 - TGTF - winner: the Postelles
top albums of 2010 - TGTF - winner: 'Acolyte', Delphic
top 'lists' of 2010 - Popwreckoning - posts tomorrow, 01.01.11

DC9, DC9, DC9...

(that was to the tune of "number 9, number 9, number 9" repeated in the Beatles' 'Revolution 9')

it's exactly 3 weeks after a death occurred outside the DC9 nightclub in Washington. I'm calling it a 'death' b/c what happened is all speculation, there are conflicting reports on what happened and I'm certainly not calling a homicide like NME has. (I was so angry at NME I even Tweeted at them "get your facts straight, they've been charged with aggravated assault. and Blood Red Shoes were never scheduled to play there, they were scheduled to play at the Red Palace on the other side of town. we don't need sensationalist reporting like this, it's not helping the DC music scene." or something that effect. I've forgotten the exact wording now.)

just like most people I will never know why a drunk man was pronounced dead at a DC hospital early Friday morning the 15th of October but I do know that my gigging life, along with other music enthusiasts has undoubtedly changed forever.

directly after the death occurred, people who are NOT gig-goers at DC9 were quick to judgment, wrongly assuming that the DC9 staff being charged by DC police for second-degree murder of this man were a bunch of burly bouncers. there was never a need for bouncers at DC9. I never, ever felt threatened by the crowd there. really, it was the only club in town that I knew that going there, it was small enough and played host to shows where people actually went to see the bands and not just hang out and drink as hipsters, trying to pretend they knew something about the acts booked (which invariably describes 40-80% of clubgoers in other venues, depending on which venue you're speaking of). the shows that I've seen there have been some of the best in my life:

1. Phenomenal Handclap Band (August 2009); also interviewed Daniel and Sean of the band; Liberation Dance Party (LDP)
   
2. the xx (15 November 2009): the first ever appearance of the London trio in DC
   
3. VV Brown (19 February 2010); before she played, I heard Delphic's 'Halcyon' on the dance floor for the first time in DC; LDP
   
4. Villagers - solo Conor J. O'Brien show (22 June 2010), during which I was complimented for listening to Steve Lamacq
5. Biffy Clyro (15 September 2010): Biffy Clyro's first ever headlining show in America
   
6. the Postelles (18 September 2010); interviewed the band in the backstage area
7. Casiokids (1 October 2010); met Fredrik after the show and chatted about Roskilde, and Ketil Tweeted/reposted the dickens out of my TGTF review, which is thought was very sweet! LDP
   
8. Delphic (8 October 2010): probably the last dance night DC9 will ever put on, it has personal significance to me for many reasons, the biggest being it was the night I introduced so many of my local friends (and my cousin and her friends) to Delphic's sound; LDP
   

there are of course many shows that I passed on that I wish I hadn't. the list is too long to put here but many of the bands have now gone on to play much larger places. The Hundred in the Hands played DC9's LDP long before I even knew who they were...I would have loved to see them then. and yes, LDP will be missed b/c Bill Spieler always made sure there was plenty of NEW British music coming through the PA. the only place in town, really.

I don't want to take sides b/c I wasn't there when the drama unfolded. but I am happy to report today that all charges were dropped against the five charged, but Spieler has resigned from his co-ownership of DC9 and other clubs in the area, and the other 4 have been let go from DC9 employment.

TBH I don't know if the club will ever reopen. it's a sad chapter in the DC music scene. now we move forward to whatever is DC9's future...but we shall never forget its past.

not on my radar you don't.

I am a magnet for controversy, so it seems. I've gotten flamed by Mat Horne and Andrew Collins. and now this.

the last week of September-into-October I saw 5 gigs in 7 days. I had Monday and Thursday off, that was it. and I was up in Philly for the first show, saw two in Boston, then came back to DC for two more.

I wasn't taking it easy on my "holiday"...I'm not using that an excuse. far from it. but I take offence as one woman saying she could write better than me when she lived in "Bumblef* Texas".

I'd like to see her try writing 10 gig reviews in a span of 10 days. and do we really need such language? seriously. and that was from a Teenage Fanclub fan that I gather traveled up and down the East Coast for them.

obviously she was not happy that I gave the Vaselines a better review than Teenage Fanclub. sorry but they brought it that night and had the energy. I write what I see and hear. unless you were at that show you can't even begin to challenge me on this. she must be some scholar on semantics as well b/c she is arguing with me that it was not in fact the first night of the North American tour. well, it depends who you talk to. it was the first night the two bands COHEADLINED on the tour. I don't go making "facts" up.

the opening band, the Radar Brothers of California, are not happy with me either. they posted a link to my review of their set on their official Web site. I'm not going over there to read whatever they've posted, b/c I imagine whatever's up there is vitriol directed personally at me.

really, opening bands should be grateful any blogger is taking the time out to write and photograph them. I can't count the number of times I've seen most "real" journalists show up only for the headliner.

also, I am not one to pretend I know anything about every single band I've written about. no one can be an expert on every band. just the fact that I write for a UK blog should have told them that I'm not an expert on Americana, never have been, and never will be. it's not one of my favourite genres and TBH I have no idea why two Scottish bands chose them as an opener.

edit: 21/10: so I have found out that the Radar Brothers and Teenage Fanclub are on Merge here in the States.

well that explains it. Merge is an indie American label. it also pretty much explains why I didn't know about them.

the only band I could scrounge up in my mind that sounded anything like them was the Grateful Dead. this apparently has not gone over well.

if they were really offended by what I said, they shouldn't have posted it. b/c that directed a bunch of their fans to my site and increased my hit count.

there had to be a positive angle to this, right?

so according to my stats counter, the review has had a grand total of 58 hits. so now I'm kind of disappointed. firestorms like this usually generate far more hits!

oh well. you can't win them all.

I'm hoping Frances McKee of the Vaselines comes out of the woodwork and says, "ignore those twats!" and then, just like on the night of that gig, something sexually provocative yet hilarious.

now waiting...whatevs. in light of what happened at DC9 last week and thinking that I'll be forced to go to the 9:30 from now on :P I'm not eager to return there.

inside a red room, locked behind a door...

the red room of my heart.

it's been a v. exciting weekend with Delphic in town for a v. special show. I still can't really believe it happened. the Temper Trap were off to Austin City Limits for the weekend so the Manc boys had a weekend off and thought, ok, why not go to the Nation's Capital?

I was v. happy to welcome them to my city. normally I take a lot of photos at gigs and sometimes even video parts of songs, but this time I just let it slide b/c I wanted to revel in the Delphic experience and just soak up as much as I could.

you don't understand, I told my friends. they sell out MASSIVE places in the UK. you can't even hope to get a ticket to their shows. this show at tiny little DC9 is going to be of epic proportions.

I was so busy in my merriment - singing along, dancing, pogo-ing, etc. - that I didn't have a moment to shed a tear in response. I was so proud of my friends for putting on such an amazing show. and so happy that my city gave them the kind of reception they SHOULD be getting in every single place they play in America.







(sidenote: completely accidentally, I ran into my cousin on the rooftop bar. I hadn't invited her, she'd come for the open bar with her friends. you know what? she and her friends loved Delphic and told Rick Boardman how great she thought they were. I couldn't have been a prouder cousin!)

I'm getting the silliest, happiest of grins on my face right now thinking about Friday night. the band is heading back into the studio in November so we won't see them for a bit while they get their bearings for album #2, but wow, I can't wait for them to come back and enchant us all over again.

read the coverage:

There Goes the Fear

PopWreckoning

This is Fake DIY

is British indie is better than American indie?

interesting article from NME tonight. British indie bands have difficulty making it big in America and have had this issue for years. for a while I thought it was b/c of sheer size - I mean, even if you've had a great show in New York City, people in Tulsa have never heard of you.

but now I think it actually has more to do with the commercialisation of radio in America and the lack of real proponents of the American independent music scene. or independent music in general for that matter.

the best recent example I have of the music appreciation divide - not just indie, b/c I don't consider Biffy Clyro indie in the UK, surely! - was their inability to sell out the 200-capacity DC9 venue last Wednesday. they sell out Wembley regularly, for god sakes.

gig reviews from the night:
my Click review
my TGTF review

oh, here's the link to the NME article, before I forget...

Why British Indie Bands Still Can't Break America

and here was my response, let's see if it actually posts.

"American indie types who display a similarly encyclopaedic knowledge of UK indie tend to get dismissed as weirdo anglophiles."

yep, that's me - I couldn't have said it better myself. a lot of this ignorance has to do with the radio stations in America, 99% of which are commercial.

thanks to the internet, the world is a lot smaller and should Americans want to know about British indie or any country's indie, they can read all about it online. but they're not going to get any on local radio stations and certainly not on MTV. we don't have a Lammo, a Huw Stephens, or even a Zane Lowe to champion the little guys of the independent music scene. unless you're actively looking for something non-mainstream and willing to go that extra mile to do the research, you're not going to find it.

Editor, http://www.theregoesthefear.com

like you were a wish that could turn out well.

I'm going to keep this short, being that it is September 11th and it's a national day of mourning and an emotional one. but a couple days ago I had a pretty emotional day of my own.



Tuesday night I saw the Airborne Toxic Event play an acoustic show with their buddies, the Calder Quartet. TBH I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out, because the song that made me a fan, 'Gasoline', heard for the first time so many moons ago in 2008 on Lammo's 6music show, is decidedly NOT made for the acoustic setting. however, I was overwhelmed by the spectacle of the performance; it was obvious to everyone in attendance that TATE loves what they're doing, making music for themselves and others, and really took this undertaking to heart.

I really don't know how I managed not to weep uncontrollably. several times, such as during 'The Book of Love' (the Magnetic Fields cover) dedicated to Mikel Jollett's late grandmother, and the achingly beautiful 'A Letter to Georgia', I could feel the tears pricking my eyes. just beautiful.



something they didn't know: they were the first band I'd ever written about for a blog. click through here to read my breathless retelling of their show on 12 March 2009, the first time I saw them. (second time was at the 9:30 Club last October. Tuesday night was my third time seeing them. they do say three times's a charm, and I guess charm was on my side that night. even before the first time I saw them gig, I had read about Mikel's health problems and family turmoil. I hoped that one day I would get my chance to speak to him, to tell him how inspirational he was to be doing what he was doing as a rock star, living life, living the dream, even with a chronic illness.

I did not know that day would be Tuesday night. when I finally got a chance to speak to him and told him what I had been practising in my mind for almost 2 years, he told me his mother has the same genetic condition I did. I was shell shocked in surprise - I was sad of course that his mother had to deal with such an illness, but at the same time it was reassuring that I was not alone. and of course he knew what I was going through. I told him I was worried about him being too tired from gigging and running around with a band, and he said not to worry that what he had wasn't a big deal. he did however tell me I was a strong person...that was definitely not what I had expected. here was a world-famous singer/songwriter telling me that I was stronger than he was.

me? stronger? I feel like I'm fighting the world sometimes, railing against whoever made me this way, insistent that I will make it, be successful. I don't have a lot of continuous support from friends locally or otherwise, so yeah, often I feel alone.

Mikel happily mugged for a photo with me. I honestly don't know how I made it through that picture being taken without bawling. no matter where I am and what I do in the future, I will always remember that night.

ecstatic doesn't even begin to cover it.

I honestly did not think I had a chance in hell seeing Delphic in Washington this year. and possibly until 2012. MB has had all her favourite bands coming through town and booked through November (Marina and the Diamonds, Lady Gaga, Foals, etc. - acts I don't care for) and I didn't have a single one. so much that I went ahead and booked my travel arrangements and hotels to get me to Philly and Boston to see Delphic SUPPORT the Temper Trap the last week of September.

then I saw this yesterday afternoon on Twitter while I was at work. I really don't know how I managed NOT to scream my head off. I was ready to jump out of my skin.





DC9 is the nightclub where I first heard 'Halcyon' played - ever - in DC. (this was back in February. before I knew I was going to Roskilde. hell, it was 3 months before I even knew Delphic was going to play AT Roskilde.) so it's only right that they will grace its stage in a month's time.

my friends have already gotten their tickets. everyone is stoked to the max.

this is gonna be huge.

I'm overwhelmed that I'll be seeing them 3 times in 2 weeks, the last time in my hometown so I can show them around a bit (maybe, we'll see about that part)...

--

in more Manchester news, I am interviewing fellow Marpleians Dutch Uncles this weekend. I shouldn't have knots in my stomach b/c they sound like amazingly nice guys but yeah, I want this to go well!

willpower needed. inquire within.

it is taking all the willpower I have in my body NOT to click on bus fares to Philly and back for a show in October. it'd only cost $2! but...but...

I thought I had convinced myself that my trip to Philly and Boston for Delphic and the Temper Trap twice in 4 days the last week of September outweighed the chance to go to Austin City Limits and Texas the following week instead (where I had planned to see Two Door Cinema Club in Houston, where two of my aunts live, and also see them and a bunch of other bands like Muse at Zilker Park playing at ACL).

the only reason I had contemplated going out to Texas in the first place was b/c the FRIGGIN FIRST TIME TDCC plays a headlining gig in my town (in one of my fave venues in DC no less, the Cat!), I won't be IN town! ::grumble:: no, I will be on a plane to California for my day job.

I have since weighed this in my mind, the good angel arguing that I've already seen them twice this year - opening for Phoenix at DAR and headlining Philly's Johnny Brenda's - that I shouldn't be greedy.

but...

the more I listen to 'What You Know', the more I am determined to see Sam and Kev let loose on their guitars like nobody's business, b/c I know how they play, and they are good.

the problem: Philly is the closest date and it's the week before the D.C. date, but it's a Thursday, which would necessitate either taking off at most 2 days (Thursday and Friday) or at the least 1/2 a day Thursday, rushing up for the show, then booking it back by bus so I'm at work bright and early the next day with no sleep. (the latter doesn't sound v. good but hey, it could work.)

the venue doesn't sound all that great - a church. I saw the xx at 6th and I Synagogue in March. it was ok, but that was the xx. their music is kind of chill. TDCC? not so much.

I should also note I am typing this with next to no voice - I have some sort of cold/lurgy thing - and sick people should not be allowed to daydream.

HELP.

skeezy Metro increases

I don't normally go off on rants and raves about things NOT related to bands, so humour me for a moment.

I am going to see We Are Scientists this Friday with a mate. Chris Cain is looking forward to seeing me and covering the gig so this is better than the average gig.

Metro, the DC area beleaguered transit system that has been suffering from all sorts of accidents and deaths in the last year or so, recently raised prices. I don't ride Metro all that much except for concerts, so this is gig-related. so I wanted to see how much it'd cost to travel downtown, b/c said friend and I may be having dinner first, in which case I need to head down earlier.

ok, I'm not too perturbed by an increase of $2 or so by leaving during the rush hour (thus paying the peak travel rate) if we're having dinner early.

what perturbs me more: starting 1st of August, any travel between midnight and 3 AM (closing) on Friday and Saturday nights will be charged at peak rates.

the other night when I saw Holy Ghost! on a Saturday night at U Street Music Hall, I paid $2.45 each way (the max usually for off peak and weekends), $4.90. this was already up from $2.35 each way, but I can deal with a $0.20 increase.

with these new rules, if I can't get on a train before midnight, I'll be paying $2.45 into the city and $5.o0 (the max for peak travel) or $7.45.

Friday night shows are even worse because you are charged parking until after 3 AM early Saturday morning, when the stations 'close'. $7.45 plus parking of $4.75 (or so I am guessing b/c that's how much parking USED to cost...the price has mysteriously disappeared from the Parking fee page) so that's $12.20. with those rates, it's cheaper to drive downtown and pay $10 at a monitored lot.

the whole point of mass transit is to get cars out of the city. with fare increases, more people will drive, traffic will get worse, and people's nerves will be frazzled. even worse, they're shooting themselves in the foot. people from outside the city aren't going to want to go into if the fares go this far up. this is going to affect how much restaurants and clubs take in on the weekends.

I'm definitely going to reconsider my evening activities. I don't get paid for my review writing and these costs add up. before it was desirable to have Friday and Saturday night gigs to cover but counter intuitively, now that prices have gone up for Metro it's better wallet-wise to catch a show on a weeknight.