(Julia) Thoughts on IndigO2 &c.

Some good things about the IndigO2 gig last week:

the space
the sound
the fact that we narrowly avoided the ammonia leak at 'Disney on Ice' at the O2 which happened the following day
the dressing rooms
the team at the IndigO2 (incl. Tony and Dale, mentioned in post below)
the people who came to see us

Some good things, generally:

fireworks: sound and vision extravaganzas happening everywhere
fig-scented candles
cowboy boots
walking in parks

Some not so good things:

falling asleep after the first half of 'Don't Look Now', and waking up before the second half of 'Manhunter', resulting in a very strange viewing experience.
the fact that there is nothing of interest, ever, in newspapers.

(Julia) Thoughts on the Bedford gig this week, and gigs in general

My first ever gig (age 18) was at the Kashmir Klub in Marylebone. The venue no longer exists in that incarnation which is a terrible shame, as it brought together music and silence and appreciation and drama and atmosphere in a unique way, and is much missed. It was a series of dimly lit caves and a small open space with tables and Italian food and a good deal of cigarette smoke which wrapped itself around you. My memories are predominantly of an enveloping dark which allowed the music to kind of glow inside it. I have the recording of my first ever performance (a Thursday night, solo, only one song, in C sharp minor, some maudlin girlie elegy or other); I was shaking so mcuh when I played that my voice is barely audible on the cd. I fell in love with the Kashmir Klub and for a long time could always be found there, sometimes playing, other times not.

Tony Moore ran the nights there with this incredible passion and dedication, and when he moved to the Bedford of course we (as Second Person) played there. He and his fantastic team were nice enough to let us film our live DVD there two years ago, and it was an omission on our part not to have played there since, because when we returned on Tuesday we realised it's pretty much second to none in terms of ambiance and sound. My mind always goes a bit blank after gigs for some reason, but that same enveloping dark, and peace, and small lights flickering on tables, and the way the audience really listens - all the things I remember from the Kashmir - they are all there at the Bedford. We will certainly not leave it another two years before playing there again. Massive thanks are due to Tony and to Dale Hanson who engineers the sound so exquisitely.

(Mark) Thoughts on MTV playing "Wood"

There are a few things that you dream about as a young musician, one of those is hearing your song on the radio for the first time and another is being played on MTV. The channel in those days was way of life, something you watched as a lifestyle choice and, more importantly, a massive stamp of approval "this band is big news!". It had the power to make and break bands and the stadium bands of the early 90s have a lot to thank MTV for. Things have changed a lot since then, more and more music channels have sprung up and websites like YouTube have delivered people more choice than ever. MTV itself no longer plays music videos - it's become an entertainment channel, but it does operate a number of MTV branded channels that do still play videos. To be played on any one of these channels feels like an amazing achievement...I would say something to tell the grandchildren about, but I fear an explanation of what MTV (and indeed TV) was would be required before getting a response from them at all.

Since we are described as "Post Trip-Hop" MTV have decided to put us where Trip-Hop is traditionally played - The Club Chillout sections on MTV Dance. We'd never considered our music "dance" but actually this is great, it's a testament the cross-over nature of what we're doing. The next step is to actually cross-over on to MTV2, VH1, and the other music channels...easier, apparently, than moving the other way. What is even more amazing about this is they chose a video we wrote and directed ourselves.

"Bands should stick to making music and leave the other stuff to the people who are actually good at it." This is something I was told only a few months ago, there is some truth in this but we'd be very happy to be the exception. Let's see how things go over the next few months.

(Julia) Paradiso, Amsterdam on 16th Aug 2007.

Amsterdam is an intricate puzzle of elegant buildings and canals, trams that threaten to run you over without a sound, cyclists that sit perfectly upright as though they're astride gymkhana ponies, and the best breakfasts in the world. The American Hotel, resplendent in Art Deco extravagance, where we sat and watched the world going by. And the Paradiso, the most magnificent of all, where we said we'd play one day, not knowing that day would be so soon.

The evening of the 16th August was an amazing orchestra of believers, each with his or her own story and individual passion, the SellaBand guys, laid back and super-efficient at the same minute, promising to make each event more exquisite than the next, and artists as variegated and colourful as the proliferations of tulips along the banks of the canals. Siren-singers, suited instrumentalists, vocal acrobats and songsmiths took to the stage in turn. We stood on that beautiful stage and watched the light change colour against our skins and played for dear life until our blood ran hot and cold and there was nothing left but feedback from the guitars. Those moments are always over too soon. We'll be back one day...

Musicians: A word about the limitless talents of the musicians who joined us onstage - Jay Phelps, Milo Bird, Jessi Maryon-Davies, and Neil Athale. There's never enough time to adequately sing (no pun intended...) their praises during the brief pauses between songs, so: Jay's lyrical and inventive trumpet melodies spelt out gorgeous punctuated lines which wove themselves around the vocals like melted toffee. With crunchy bits in. Milo generously took some time to come play with us, though busy working with the excellent Daniel Ward-Murphy, who also played that night. Despite the difficulties of the sound onstage, he lent his exquisite, sinuous, elegiac cello sounds to Wood - just as he did for the recording of the same song. And it was wonderful. Jessi comes to play with us when she can - an incredibly gifted classical pianist, she makes time in her schedule to add her own delicate and textured interpretations of the songs to the sonic mix. It really wouldn't be the same without her. And Neil - well, Neil has played with us on and off for many years now. We adore him for his attention to the detail of the music, professionalism, inimitable sense of humour... we could go on. But it would be embarrassing. Suffice to say we're extremely grateful to the people who devote time and energy to helping us realise the music in a live context. SP loves them..