Ctrl + Alt + Reading

An addendum to yesterday's post (as in, I'd have included it yesterday, but got excited and clicked Publish too early):

I recently had the chance to sit down have an email chat with Niall of Alt Reading which you can read here.

Topics covered include how I managed to escape the local pond, how a collection of excellent people prevented me from sobbing into glasses of lemonade at open mic nights forevermore and why the US and the UK are not the same place.

I encourage you to read it, at your leisure.
x

The unfinal countdown

Everyone!

There you are. Where have you been hiding? I'm sat on my bed with a king-size cold, the second half of one which I caught on my birthday (yay, thanks!) which lasted for a week and then disappeared. Clearly it only comes out when I have to play a gig, since I had Bristol and Reading last time, and we're fast approaching shows in Cardiff, Derby and Durham this time.

As sure as eggs are eggs, I have just five shows to go before I shall depart to do something else for a while. When people ask me about it, I would like to say Ben Marwood Is Taking Time Off To Pursue Other Interests, but that sort of sounds like a code for Ben Marwood Has Been Fired From His Own Solo Project. Instead I'll probably introduce them to the 2014 Wish List.

Before the end of 2014, I, Ben Marwood, wish to:

1. watch every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation
2. expand my collection of really sharp rocks
3. test my new ground-to-air missile defence system
4. work on my biceps, triceps and pieceps

In reality, really, it's much more like:

5. the second album's been out for over a year now, and i have new songs i'd like to record, but i can't do that whilst i'm working and spending the weekends doing gigs, so we have to stop the gigs for a while.

Which isn't as exciting as saying stupid stuff like:

6. i'm taking a leave of absence to star in Game of Thrones as an invisible king that none of the cast ever interactive with.


Come and see my final three headline shows of 2014, if you dare:

Saturday 31st May - CARDIFF Moon Club
Thursday 5th June - DERBY Ryan's Bar
Friday 6th June - DURHAM Old Cinema Launderette


xx

Best in shows

March! Spring has sprung! We all clubbed together to get on Facebook to cure cancer by wearing no make-up (because of some logic) and in 2017 there's going to be a new £1 coin that doubles as a ninja star. Rejoice! March! Spring!

I'm sat on a gig island, stranded between shows whilst the sharks of normal, everyday life circle - mostly housework and the impending end of the tax year, although those are just pet names. To try and make it look like I'm doing something arty and worthwhile, here's an update on things to come, things that have been and whatever else is left over.


Lottery
Haven't won the lottery yet.


February shows with Retrospective Soundtrack Players
Ah yes! A giant-sized THANK YOU to everyone who came out to the shows with the RSP and I in February. After all these years doing this, they were the first shows for which I've ever (headline) toured with a band and I'm not sure I could have asked for a more enthusiastic and almost-puzzlingly-keen group of people. Cheltenham, Leeds, Southampton and London all nearly hit capacity, and Swindon also happened. Me and the guys did some band numbers and there were a couple of new songs on offer. All told: good work. Maybe we'll do it again sometime.

I also had the pleasure of playing a sit-down show in Colchester - note: I was standing up, everyone else was sat down - and my first headline show in Kingston ever ended up being all sold out and I got heckled by a man who sounded just like Andy Parsons but wasn't. The fun we have on the road.


The RSP and I spoke to a dude about going on tour together, finally..
.. the dude in question being my good buddy Rob Escott. It's all about why it's taken us so long to get our shit together, the Xtra Mile family, influences and other stuff like that. Concise! It's a good read and it can be read right here.


Hey, look, I still have shows in April, May and June!
Get your tickets so I don't worry about whether anyone will turn up, and come and see me at the following halls of sound:

13.04.14 NOTTINGHAM JT Soars // Bring Your Own Beer!!
14.04.14 MANCHESTER Star & Garter
17.04.14 GLASGOW Glad Cafe
19.04.14 YORK Black Swan
09.05.14 BRISTOL The Louisiana
13.05.14 READING South Street Arts Centre
31.05.14 CARDIFF Moon Club
05.06.14 DERBY Ryans Bar
06.06.14 DURHAM Old Cinema Launderette

For updates on support and ticket info, head on over to the gigs page.

Love!xx

Back Down CD part of Amazon UK's 2 for £15 offer this month

Hello!

Are you Amazon-inclined and into owning physical copies of stuff?

Did you ever long deeply for a copy of my second album, Back Down, on CD but were prevented from buying it by a hefty £10 price tag? 

Well, February is YOUR month, because you can now get Back Down plus some other CD (or, two Back Downs?) for £15. Amongst others I could recommend are:

Mogwai - Les Revenants OST
Eels - Wondeful, Glorious
Laura Veirs - Warp & Weft
Larry and his Flask - By The Lamplight
Chris T-T and the Hoodrats - The Bear

Oh there's loads, why not take a look?

>>Go to Amazon UK 2 for £15
>>Go and specifically stare at the Back Down page

the cat leaps free from the bag: confirmed for 2000Trees 2014

Hi everyone,

Short and sweet (this, not you).

It gives me great pleasure to announce I'll be part of this year's 2000Trees festival in Cheltenham, playing the a set on the Thursday night for anyone with early bird entry. I'll be joined by good friends Oxygen Thief (selling out the solo artist world by bringing his band), Retrospective Soundtrack Players and also heavy hitters Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Gnarwolves and Johnny Foreigner.

You can get tickets and info right here.

I would describe this news as pretty damn great.

x

putting Back Down to bed: UK tour dates through to the summer

Hi everyone!

It gives me great pleasure to announce the UK shows through to June for this year. There's a possibility of more to be added, but here's what we have. Due to the onset of some weirdly specific seasonal depression (apparently normal for January) I couldn't secure shows in Sheffield and the South West, instead choosing to eat a lot of chocolate I had left over from Christmas. I think it was an okay trade-off.

So, pending further news, these will be the final run of shows dedicated to second album Back Down. The shows will also subject you to me road-testing the occasional new song, causing people to shuffle uncomfortably at the prospect of things they don't know the tune to. I'm pleased to say that, having gigged it for a while now, I'm much more in love with the songs from Back Down than I have been at any other point in the album cycle, now I've finally learned how to play them by myself. This can only be a good sign of things ahead.

Come along and sing the words in the following locations:


2014
14.02.14 CHELTENHAM Frog and Fiddle* // tickets
15.02.14 LEEDS Fox and Newt* // tickets
16.02.14 SOUTHAMPTON Joiners Arms* // tickets
17.02.14 SWINDON The Vic* // tickets
18.02.14 LONDON Camden Monarch* // tickets
07.03.14 COLCHESTER Lakeside Theatre @ Essex Uni // tickets
08.03.14 KINGSTON The Cricketers // tickets
13.04.14 NOTTINGHAM JT Soars // ticket info to follow
14.04.14 MANCHESTER Star & Garter // ticket info to follow
17.04.14 GLASGOW Glad Cafe // ticket info to follow
19.04.14 YORK Black Swan // ticket info to follow
09.05.14 BRISTOL The Louisiana // ticket info to follow
13.05.14 READING South Street Arts Centre // ticket info to follow
31.05.14 CARDIFF Moon Club // ticket info to follow
05.06.14 DERBY Ryans Bar // ticket info to follow
06.06.14 DURHAM Old Cinema Launderette // ticket info to follow

*with Retrospective Soundtrack Players


See you there!
x

a year in rebuke (or, things for your ears 2013)

Well, that was fun, wasn't it? 2013. Thanks for coming. We'll remember you as the year which.. oh, you know what? If you want a proper year in review you should probably watch Charlie Brooker's Newswipe 2013. It's probably on iPlayer already. I'm just here to tell you about nine (correction: TEN) good things you should put in your ears from the past year.



Ten Good Things You Should Put In Your Ears From The Past Year: 2013 Edition
(in no particular order)

Shovels & Rope: O Be Joyful
Second album from Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, albeit their first under the S&R banner. An old-fashioned blues-country trip to the olden days in the Southern states.
See/hear: Lay Low (live at Pickathon)

Chris T-T & the Hoodrats: The Bear
First album in 3,934 years from Chris T-T, this time credited to a full band. Rockier than the normal folk fare but maintains the trademark personal T-T feel. No songs about Nick Clegg though.
See/hear: Gulls

Oxygen Thief: Accidents Do Not Happen, They Are Caused
This is a mini-album but it counts because I say it does. First full-band release from normally-acoustic Bristolian noisemonger. Set faces to melted.
See/hear: Terry Nutkins Salute

Frank Turner: Tape Deck Heart
Fiftieth album in two years from Winchester's own folk-punk hero and history/Iron Maiden buff. Probably the most personal album he'll ever commit to record and the most ambitious one to boot.
See/hear: Recovery

Jetplane Landing: Don't Try
Return of Derry's favourite rockers. Political leanings all but banished, replaced with rock, rock and some more rock. And bits for people to yell along to. This shit's important.
See/hear: Beat Generation... Ha!

Jamie Lenman: Muscle Memory
Another return, courtesy of ex-Reuben frontman, and a double album to boot. A mix of beautiful, exquisitely crafted numbers and metal designed to tear out your brain. Set faces to double-melted.
See/hear: Pretty Please

Emily Barker & the Red Clay Halo: Dear River
Gentle, wistful folk adventure courtesy of brilliant Aussie and band of chums. Tender, spellbinding, memorable.
See/hear: In The Winter I Return (live)

Off With Their Heads: Home
Disaffected two-minute punk rock at its growling finest.
See/hear: Nightlife

Blitzen Trapper: VII
Seventh album from American rock-country outfit, big on choruses, production values and sometimes murder. Remarkable consistency.
See/hear: Feel the Chill (live at WFUV)

Future of the Left: How To Stop Your Brain In An Accident
Darkly humourous, punchy, punky noise-rock. This is album four, and the spikes are as sharp as ever.
See/hear: Johnny Borrell Afterlife

a note from the author: I haven't heard the new Beans On Toast album yet, so calm down.