Some shows feel really special, and the one in the Trinity Church was one of them. With a backdrop of beautiful visuals by K. Craig, the sound and lighting were absolutely perfect and made for a very special night. Thanks again to everyone involved!
Next up on our journey is our first gig in Wales. The Cardiff Arts Institute is a really cool venue a short walk from the centre, so some of us have some time to check out Spillers, supposedly the oldest record shop in the world.
Tonight we go for a slightly different set, something quieter and more acoustic guitar based than usual. Unfortunately the recent change of mixing desk at the venue means the sound engineer has technical difficulties at making everything sound right, and there are long gaps between songs while we try to sort it out. Good gig, nevertheless, and we enjoyed Three Pairs of shoe’s set. Thanks to all the people who decided to come and see us instead of Take That.
Having been invited to do a live session for Gold Flake Paint, we decide to stop on our way to Bristol for a quick run through. We find a pub, and, surrounded by chickens, have an al fresco practice whilst witnessing a cockfight. Said session happens in the backroom of a vintage clothes shop, Top Deck, and we’ll post a link to the video when we get it.
The Croft is a really nice venue, split in two, and we have to compete with Thomas Tantrum. The landlord provides us with really good pizza, and both other bands on the bill are very good: Thought forms very loud and very well done drone rock (they’re supporting Portishead in Holland to a crowd of 2000+ tonight) and Matt Loveridge contact mic’ed drums and noise.
During our set we get the funniest heckling we’ve ever had from a very playful crowd, probably helped by the unbearable heat and Ted Nugent comparisons (?).
Probably the first time ever we get to go to the beach AND play a gig on the same night. And have amazing ice cream…honeycome hash it was called.
The iBar is slightly like out of a scene of mad max. Probably looking like a trendy “digital” bar in its heyday, it looks more like dead pixels and derelict bit packets nowadays. But it also means there’s a massive screen behind the stage and we can choose to have visuals… What a better occasion to soundtrack some of the David Attenbourgh series? The icy seas i think it was, and it worked perfectly.
Great sets from Ghost Town and Head of a Cuban Trojan.
The Railway Hotel is one of these places where time stopped ticking a while back, as if trapped in a bubble. An old cocktail bar collecting dust in the corner, rococo ornaments and a marching band drum sporting the name of the place balanced on the shelf over the bar. A grand piano, a hammond and a Rhodes add to the look, along with an 80s bright light jukebox in the corner. There’s an impressive collection of LPs behind the bar, and a framed picture of Syd Barrett over the door.
The PA speakers are also of the vintage category which doesn’t help with getting vocals to sound right, but we make do and the sound engineer, who we later learned has recorded our friend James a few times before, does a good job at making things sound right with what we have.
A banner caught fire while we were playing the museum song, probably the worst attempt at pyrotechnics in the history of rock and roll (a guy dropped a glass which made a candle topple over - the fire was out in seconds).
Best quote of the night, by an old hairy dude: “this is the fucking closest thing to Pink Floyd i’ve seen in a fucking long time!”. Syd was watching us over the door i guess, although he didn’t specify which era…
Video for ‘Slowing Time’ by Fiona Allison & Xavier Watkins featuring Stephanie Marley. ‘Slowing Time’and ‘Another Safe Place’ will be released as a digital download single on the 23rd May by Little Red Rabbit records. You can also stream the track bellow.
Slowing Time from Fuzzy Lights on Vimeo.
Fuzzy Lights : Slowing Time (single out on 23rd May) by Little Red Rabbit Records EDIT: You can get the single from bandcamp here as a “pay what you want” download.Obscura from Fuzzy Lights on Vimeo.
