The Dawn Chorus / The Retrospective Soundtrack Players - Blogging all over the World
My name is Kyle. I am a happily failing indie/folk/country musician from Hampshire, UK. I have been singing and songwriting in The Dawn Chorus since 2005, and The Retrospective Soundtrack Players since 2010. I love these two bands like my brother/wife rolled into one. This blog details the shows I have played with both bands, in chronological order.Friday, January 06, 2012
CCXV - The Wine Vaults, Portsmouth - 29/12/11
Thursday 29th December 2011
The Wine Vaults, Portsmouth
The Day of the Rabblement
Kyle D Evans
The Real Raj
unknown
It's nice to do a festive gig, in this one I played 4 Christmas songs (Have yourself..., Blue Christmas, Christmas is Awesome (Reuben) and Yo Zushi's Christmas Song (Yo Zushi)). I also played one new DC song, 2 old DC songs and one new RSP song. It's a very confusing time at the moment; with a new DC and RSP album coming soonish I have 25+ finished songs but no bands to play them with. Must get the full band shows going again!
This was one of those gigs where my relief that there were plenty of people in dissolved into frustration that they weren't all listening. First world problems! It was ok though, to be fair most people were in to see DOTR, and they did not disappoint. It was the first time I'd seen them as a five-piece with mandolin and violin and they really got the place moving. My parents loved it too. I can't wait to see them play again.
New year's resolutions for 2012:
- finally release new DC album
- release new RSP album
- play 50 gigs between DC/RSP/solo (this is unlikely but i'm aiming high)
- write some pop songs for incredible young singer that Nelly has discovered
- read more
- learn more
- spend less time on twitter
that'll do.
x
Saturday, November 19, 2011
CCXIV - Birmingham Bright House - 12/11/11
Saturday 12th November 2011
Birmingham Bright House
Kyle D Evans
Joe Summers
Neil Morris
Oh Stockholm!
A good gig for bullet points methinks:
- Left a trumpet in Fareham and had to come back when halfway to the gig (it wasn't halfway - I've exaggerated for dramatic effect)
- Got to the venue in decent time and had our usual super-quick acoustic soundcheck, then who should we see but OUR AMERICAN SUPER FAN AND THE WORLD'S NUMBER ONE COOL HAND LUKE AFICIONADO MR FRED WILLISTON, ALL THE WAY FROM WISCONSIN! (I've exaggerated here for dramatic effect - we knew he was coming)
- We took Fred out for a pie. When in Rome. He was without a doubt one of the nicest, most polite and generous men I have ever met. A true gentleman.
- I was really worried that it would be a quiet show, not that it usually bothers me, but Fred had come all that way and we wanted to look like a half-decent act at least. It was good though, and Fred had a great time.
- On the way home we bumped into The Naked and Famous in a service station, who probably played to more people than us. Probably. The only person in the service station was a Vietnamese lady who was on her first night, and a Polish guy who was chopping mushrooms and knew no English beyond the phrase 'I speak no English'. Elliott Gregg got a little tired of waiting to be served by this odd couple and may or may not have half inched a mars bar and a packet of Walker's.
- We received instant Karma for this deadly sin when Pauly B killed a sentient being on the M40, destroying a hare the size of a dog that was minding its own business in the slow lane. The shame.
- Thanks to Addis for having us again.
- Here's Fred!
CCXIII - Chichester Inn - 11/11/11
Friday 11th November 2011
Chcichester Inn
Clockworks
Kyle D Evans
Sleep Centre
Collect My Years
This night was billed as 'Candle Club', but there were no candles to be seen. There was also no between-band ambient music, which made it one of the most awkward acoustic evenings ever. However, despite there being no PA music between the bands, there was music leaking through the speakers somehow when the actual musicians were playing. God knows how, the soundman certainly didn't seem to know how.
By this time we had our live show absolutely down and tight as a (INSERT SOMETHING TIGHT HERE (THAT's WHAT SHE SAID)), which happens every single time you get to the end of a tour, without fail. Oh well.
CCXII - Portsmouth Edge of the Wedge - 06/11/11
Sunday 6th November 2011
Portsmouth Edge of the Wedge
Ben Marwood
Kyle D Evans
MyNameIsIan
The Boy I Used to Be
A hometown show for the first time in a long time, and my first solo hometown show. Great fun, I was promoting the gig too and a decent crowd came out for a Sunday night so I was able to pay all the acts. Ian just gets better and better every time I see him, and my students certainly enjoyed his set, since I've had to lend his album around half of my AS classes.
This is officially the friendliest bill that I've ever shared a stage with. I even got to meet Ben Marwood's Mum, who is as much of a legend as you would expect. We also bade (is that the past tense of bid?) farewell to Ian, who we'd shared many a car game of 'Would you rather?' with over the last week. Top guy.
CCXI - London Camden Wheelbarrow - 04/11/11
Friday 4th November 2011
London Camden WheelbarrowBen Marwood
Kyle D Evans
MyNameIsIan
More like it! We'd had a few duffers so it was good to play a decent show. Ian slayed, and we somehow managed to follow up by playing a pretty great set, if I do say so myself. It was nice and busy, and sweetly there was a big DC fan up the front on my left who was singing all the words to the DC songs, and an RSP fan on my right singing all the RSP words. After the show, they both bought the other band's stuff. Ah. Then Marwood got on stage and destroyed the place. In the most mil-mannered Marwood way possible, of course.
Elliott Gregg and Pauly got very merry afterwards and ended up in a *cough* gentlemen's club polishing off a whole bottle of grey goose. I hit the M3 and yelled all the words to the IceAge album about 5 times, or at least what I think the words are, they're Danish I think.
Friday, November 18, 2011
CCX - Brighton Druid's Arms - 03/11/11
Thursday 3rd November 2011
Brighton Druid's Arms
Kyle D Evans
MyNameIsIan
We'd played the Druid's before and it was quite fun in a slightly rawcus pub gig way, but armed only with an acoustic guitar and my buddies playing quietly at my sides it was not so fun. There really is nowhere to turn when you're in the corner of a pub with a quiet instrument and nobody really listening. To make it worse, Ian came down from Cardiff on the train and had to go through the same ordeal. Not great, all told.
CCIX - Richmond Vodka Revolution(!) - 31/10/11
Monday 31st October 2011
Richmond Vodka Revolution (!!!)
Kyle D Evans
?
?
Wow. I have now quite literally become the star of my own Flight of the Conchords style comedy. Before I launch into this, I'd just like to stress that I don't hold anything at all against Brenna who put this gig on, and in fact I somehow actually enjoyed this strange, strange gig. Here we go:
- We had to set up our own PA and soundcheck ourselves.
- Let's just take a backward step and remember that this gig is in a Vodka Revolution (which yes, you're correct, I did agree to)
- While we were soundchecking a barman came up and dropped one of the all-time greatest lines, up there with the Ringwood gypsy comment (it's somewhere on this blog, back in the mists of time.... ), here it comes: "We'll have to make sure the DJ stops before you play, it'd be a shame if you were both playing at the same time." Brilliant.
- It looked like the place was going to be empty, but as show time rolled around the place filled up with skimpily clad halloween-dressed student ladies and Pauly and Elliott's eyes began to light up. It was truthfully the kind of student night that i'd have been terrified to have gone to when I was a student. Because I was a shy idiot.
- Oh yes, we realised just before we went on that we playing at Richmond University's open mic night. So that's a first too.
- We were getting into our stride, even though people weren't dead keen on listening, and had played three songs when Pauly had a sign held up in front of his face: ONE MORE SONG! Which was soon replaced by: YOU HAVE 3 AND A HALF MINUTES! You have to laugh really. However, we were paid £10 a song, which isn't bad going.
- To be fair, we got to see our wonderful friends the Blands, have a half decent dinner and a publishing deal may come out of it (long story, thanks Brenna), so you can't really complain.
CCVIII - Bristol Stag & Hounds - 28/10/11
Friday 28th October 2011
Bristol Stag & Hounds
Cassette Culture
MyNameIsIan
Kyle D Evans
Day out: awesome. Pie minister, couple of nice shandies in the sun, ice cream, visit to Fopp, wings and wedges for dinner.
Gig: ok. Had better, had worse. We played ok, saw a few old friends, had fun. Amazingly, we were offered £5 as payment. That takes some beating. Any less any you are actually being paid with coins. We did manage to talk our way up to a tenner though, using skills gleamed from Young Apprentice.
CCVII - Leeds Royal Park Cellar - 26/10/11
Wednesday 26th October 2011
Leeds Royal Park Cellar
Jake and the Jellyfish
Kyle D Evans
Chris Hobley
Lee Almeroth
There was meant to be some other northern dates around this, but they fell through so I ended up driving up to Leeds and back in a day. I was meant to be headlining (ooooooh!!!!) but Jake kindly swapped with me so that I could get cracking on the drive home.
I actually like driving for a long stretch and hammering through a big pile o CDs, in this case: EMA, Weezer, Bill Hicks, George Carlin, Gaslight Anthem, REM, Shabazz Palaces, Beirut. Bizarrely, my brother-in-law Al (also from Fareham) was in Leeds and brought a big group of his workmates along, and paid for dinner. Luckily they weren't the only people there, and it was one of the better shows of the tour, allowing me to play loads of new DC songs. Thanks very much to Jake for having me and putting on the show.
CCVI - Brighton The Foundry - 23/10/11
Sunday 23rd October 2011
Brighton Foundry
Kyle D Evans
Different! A totally 100% unplugged show, and I had much more fun than being plugged in at the grimmest gig ever in Kingston a few days before. I yelled my little heart out, and even though a lot of people weren't hugely listening we had great fun. After us an awesome awesome bluegrass band played and we felt rubbish. Not that they weren't brilliant and lovely people, they just made us feel inferior to their brilliance. If I told you that they played a bluegrass version of 'Money for Nothing' and were still great, that's probably enough.
CCV - Kingston Fighting Cocks - 20/10/11
Thursday 20th October 2011
i was huse riden with illness.. i hear there were some issues, so i appolergies for that, i couldnt actully leave the house, i was running late then couldnt leave untill which sucked as i was looking forward to playing and meeting you all alot!'
Kingston Fighting Cocks
?
?
Kyle D Evans
Not a great one! There really is nothing quite like hearing these words when you arrive at a venue: 'Oh, the promoter hasn't turned up. You're welcome to play though'. Ho hum. We arrived at about 7. I think we played at half 7. To 4 people who were probably playing later on in the day. I wouldn't usually and it felt rude, but I couldn't even hang around to see the other acts.
On the plus side: we went to pizza hut where you now get unlimited salad. And Pauly and Elliott got to play on a leopard print pool table.
Here's my email from the promoter the next day:
'hey hey how did the gig go
sorry i couldnt be there, i was huse riden with illness.. i hear there were some issues, so i appolergies for that, i couldnt actully leave the house, i was running late then couldnt leave untill which sucked as i was looking forward to playing and meeting you all alot!'
CCIV - Xtra Mile Showcase @ The Borderline, London - 19/10/11
Wednesday 19th October 2011
Xtra Mile F**k the Fire Showcase
London Borderline
Mull Historical Society
Dave Hause
Chris T-T
Jim Lockey
Beans on Toast
Kyle D Evans
This was the first of a long run of dates playing DC and RSP songs with just Pauly B on keys/trumpet and Elliott Gregg on cajon (although Elliott didn't play this one.) Pauly and I were very nervous and we thought it showed, but a few people said they really enjoyed it, so that's good enough or me.
Elsewhere, MHS were my favourite band in the world exactly ten years ago so it was cool to play with him. In fact, everyone from all the acts today (Colin, Dave, Chris, Jim and Jay) are the loveliest people you could ever wish to meet. Good times! First congestion charge London show for a while though ("I wonder if we have to pay congestion" said I - as we drove right past the houses of parliament. Geography skills 0.)
GIG FAIL - Portsmouth Drift in the City - 28/09/11
Usually I wouldn't write about gigs that don't come through, but some of the following probably need (if not deserve) a mention:
- no lights in venue
- downstairs bar looked like it hadn't been cleaned since 2008 (but it's ok, because the downstairs bar wasn't going to be opened - just walked through)
- no booze behind upstairs bar (well, about 5 bottles of carlsberg)
- massive puddle in upstairs bar, with a mop standing next to it
- no sign of any staff in venue
- toilets that would have made the bookies' in Trainspotting blush
- soundman refusing to enter the premises until he was paid in advance
- surprisingly, this gig didn't go ahead
Monday, October 24, 2011
CCIII - Southsea Fest @ The Vestry, Portsmouth - 17/09/11
17th September 2011
Southsea Fest @ The Vestry, Portsmouth
Hometown Show
Judith and the Charmers
The Dawn Chorus (acoustic)
Andrea Kenny
Charlotte Carpenter
Caz Batten
Anthony Love
Angela Morgan
I love love love Southsea Fest and this was great as always. It was just myself with Pauly B and Elliott Gregg standing in on cajon duties. Great fun, we somehow filled the place to the rafters so that some of our good friends couldn't get in, so sorry about that.
My guitar was going horribly out of tune all over the place, and the room was kind of an odd shape for a show, so we ditched the PA and ended with a few songs totally acoustic, which was great fun. Afterwards I managed to have a wander and watch Beans on Toast, Kill It Kid and a few others, have some fish and chips and catch up with some old friends. What better way to spend an evening?
Sunday, July 24, 2011
CCII - 2000 Trees Festival, Gloucestershire - 16/07/11
Saturday 16th July 2011
Two Thousand Trees Festival (Busking Box)
DC/RSP/BOTB mega busk-off
One of the five favourite gigs of my whole life, and it wasn't even a proper gig. The organisers had asked me to do a DC acoustic set after all the main bands finished at 11pm, so Nelly and I started off playing 'Fractured City' on a couple of acoustics, and then gradually Simps, Wit and Kelvin arrived and played whatever they had at hand as we bashed through various songs and covers for an hour or so. The crowd of people that gathered were amazing and made it into a truly special moment. I like to list the sets after this type of show, so here it is, as best as I can remember. DC = The Dawn Chorus, RSP = The Retrospective Soundtrack Players, BOTB = The B of the Bang.
Fractured City (DC)
Relatively Young and Quite in Love (DC)
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel)
Green, Unpleasant Land (DC)
Why Bother? (Weezer)
Real Cool Hand (RSP)
Plastic Jesus (RSP)
50 Eggs (RSP)
Send Me the Hell Back Home (RSP)
Death is the End (RSP)
Last Day on Earth (BOTB)
That's Not Love (DC)
We Are Free (DC)
You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon)
The Hope Will Kill Us (DC)
Heart of Hearts (DC)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
CCI - 2000 Trees Festival, Gloucestershire - 16/07/11
Saturday 16th July 2011
2000 Trees Festival, Gloucestershire
Disraeli and the Small Gods
The Wave Pictures
The Travelling Band
Charlie Barnes and The Geekks
The Retrospective Soundtrack Players
+loads more
I cannot express in words how much I dearly love 2000 Trees festival. We were first on the Leaf Lounge stage and Nelly and I cut it a bit fine (due to biblical weather and general disorganisation), arriving about 20 minutes before stage time. Or perfect timing, as I like to call it.
There were tonnes of people out to see us which was very humbling when you're first on on a smaller stage, but people seemed to come out in force which was lovely. Neil Morris did about 70 eggs in the egg challenge, which must be some kind of record. Afterwards we sold out of Cool Hand Luke CDs, which, again, was very humbling.
During the day I saw some pretty decent bands (Islet, Danny & The Champs, Twilight Sad - who you really need to say inside, or at least in the dark) and a couple of excellent bands (Frightened Rabbit, The Wave Pictures), saw some old mates (Charlie Barnes, Ben Morse, Addis & the Birmingham massive, countless others), ate some nice food (Chorizo burger, moroccan Chicken thing) and generally had a lovely time.
Saturday, July 09, 2011
CC - Portsmouth Gunwharf Quays - 03/07/11
Portsmouth Gunwharf Quays
Sunday 3rd July 2011
The Retrospective Soundtrack Players
Kyle (solo)
Bemis
Strange days indeed. If this had been outdoors on such a gorgeous day there would have been a lot of walk-by traffic, as it was we had to get a lot of our friends and family down to make it worthwhile. I did a solo set, which was fairly soul-crushing, although it did provide a somewhat legendary moment when Pauly B played the solo to 'Relatively Young...' over the song 'Come on Home.' Smooth.
We played the whole RSP album for the first time, though the sound was fairly dodgy and by far the two most interested crowd members were by nieces (aged 1 and 2.) Ah well, not like it was a landmark show or anything......
CXCIX - Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms - 30/06/11
Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Thursday 30th June 2011
The Walkmen
The B of the Bang
The Retrospective Soundtrack Players
Sadly Portsmouth people (or maybe people in general) don't seem to be nearly as clued up as they should be, as the Walkmen only managed to sell about half the tickets for the Wedge (capacity 400). They were superb though.
BOTB were also excellent, great to see my bro Keef from DC nailing the bass just like he always does in any band. RSP's first wedge show, it was a little quiet but great fun.
x
CXCVIII - Glastonferret @ The Mad Ferret, Preston - 26/06/11
Glastonferret @ The Mad Ferret, Preston
Sunday 26th June 2011
Race Horses
Hey Sholay
We Walk in Straight Lines
The Retrospective Soundtrack Players
The Jackpot Golden Boys
The Random Family
Richard Barry and the Chaps
Rae Morris
Mystery Tea House
Lakeview
We love Glastonferret. This was our first time as RSP, and we made the round trip in a day. Portsmouth to Preston and back.... that's some sweaty backs in the car. We did this show without Nelly as it was very close to the birth of the beautiful baby Imogen, but somehow we managed without his slide guitar skills and stomping/screaming prowess.
The way there was insanely cramped but we made it through (no sat-nav required - Paul's directions to Preston: 'drive to Preston, turn right at Staples.') Kelv accidentally bought three KFC meals on the way there, so when we went to 'spoons for the traditional shitty Sunday dinner Kelv stayed at the venue and somehow managed to get off his face in the space of about 50 minutes. However, he played like an absolute champ, covering Nelly's electric guitar parts too.
Excellent fun as always - indoor hay bails, tasty cider, nice people, good sound. You only have to do a ten hour round trip to get it.....
CXCVII - Brighton Druid's Arms - 09/06/11
Brighton Druid's Arms
Thursday 9th June 2011
The Retrospective Soundtrack Players
Max Fletcher
Jack Boyd
As correctly pointed out by Murray in Flight of the Conchords, small gigs are the best. Old music industry trick - small gigs if you want to sell out. The Druid's Arms is absolutely TINY - certainly no stage or anything like that. The kind of tiny pub gig where you have to move some tables out of the way to make space to play. And don't get me wrong - more often than not, as long as the pub isn't some kind of chav hell, I really like these shows.
Soundcheck took forever since I don't think they were expecting a ludicrous 6-piece folk/punk monstrosity, but all we had to do in the end was give up monitors, which wasn't the end of the world in such a small place. There was a kooky barman (european...) who arrived on roller blades and kept them on to serve from the bar in. Kelv and I had some lovely in-house Thai food made by the chef Pokky. I knew this because it said on the menu 'FOOD HOMEMADE BY POKKY.' However, when I said 'Thanks, Pokky' upon service of our food, he looked at me like I'd invaded his personal space. Poor old Pokky. I don't know why I did it actually, I never call shop assistants by the name on their badge.
Our show was immense fun, the egg challenge was slightly spoilt by a big fat pissed twat who also did his best to ruin Plastic Jesus 1 by hollering 'Dirty Old Town' over the top. He was ejected by the landlord after a few songs though, legend. We did a short, sharp, raucous set and had a joyous, sweaty old time. On the way home I managed to snag 5 croissants (and other similar french pastry delights) for a measly £1 from a service station. WIN.
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