The Dawn Chorus / The Retrospective Soundtrack Players - Blogging all over the World

The Mash Tun, Winchester
Thursday 29th March 2007

The Dawn Chorus
Alex J Dunne

Really really good fun! We were on a stage that we could hardly fit onto, but the closeness made it great fun. The locals were very pissed so we kept the tempo up as much as possible, although perhaps going too far on The town and the city, which was approximately double speed. We got our first ever encore shout from a crowd of strangers too, which was a very nice feeling. This was the sort of gig that makes you feel good about being in a bnad. The place was tiny, we probably didn't cover our petrol costs, but it was fucking good fun - rejuvinating even. And even though the pub was small, we probably played to more people than the sum of our 4 appearances at the Winchester Railway Inn (the town's proper venue). Lush

Fareham Chicago Rock(!)
Sunday March 25th 2007

Quite a bizarre experience, very far removed from the usual gigging experience. We had to do our own PA, which Neil enjoyed incredibly. He even started showing his long suffering gf Bassy the ropes. Chicago Rock is covered with pictures of shit 'rock' stars, including Sting, whose smug, shit African-music making, tantric sex enjoying, extremely twattish face was right next to the stage. We sorted this by covering it with King Horse on a mic stand. It was a real family experience with every single DC parent in attendance. How proud they must be. Undoubtedly the highlight of the night, however, was the GUY DANCING ON HIS OWN TO THE IN HOUSE MUSIC AT ABOUT 7PM ON HIS OWN IN LEATHER TROUSERS ON HIS OWN. It was fun playing all of our songs, more or less. It also made me remember why some of them don't get played that often. The following day, Ben (aka the spawn of joe cocker) from the X-factor was playing the very same venue. We didn't go.

x

Chichester University
Saturday 17th March 2007

Kody
Enjoy Destroy
Joey Nightmare
Retrofect
Golden Section
Lost Aura
The Dawn Chorus
I Am Jack
900 Spaces
A-Custom
Something Pretty
Covernote

This was pretty fun. I have noticed that irregularities make me forget my lyrics. Playing at 3pm in perfect sunlight made me forget a couple of lines, as did playing a house party in Emma's living room. It was St Paddy's day and I bought a couple of Guinnesses, one of which I drank and one of which I lost. But this isn't such a bad thing since I hate Guinness. Keef was totally hung over and it was about all he could do to stand up straight and play bass. Neil played with someone else's amp and hated it. Paul fell off his stool. Matt played very fast, but at least it meant we had time for an extra song. Somehow, despite all this, we still managed to play pretty well. And we gained our youngest fan yet, a cute little baby girl who could barely stand up (about as much as keef), but was clapping, dancing and singing along. Maybe we should become the new Wiggles/Oodles and Noodles and go around playing Playschools. Good night x

Portsmouth Havana Bar
Friday 9th March 2007

The Dawn Chorus
Palais
The Gun Show

Well I've been tardy again and left it a full fortnight before updating my blog. Shame on me. So what can I remember about playing Bovver Boy Promotions at the Havana Bar? The Gun Show did an acoustic set because their drummer Reuben fucked a goose and got bird flu, causing his face and neck to lose all shape. Palais had a super-charged mod/chav army and looked a little bit Towers of London, but were actually pretty good. I can't remember all that much about our set, but I do remember that a lot of people were at the bar. But some random bloke did a dosie do (sp?) with Kelvin during Town/City, which was quite funny. If ever we have enough money/ego to make a video I would love to have a shitty toilet venue filled with people dosie do-ing. Maybe one day x

Bands we have played with (Update)

Afrosnatchers, The AKA Band, Andy & Jack, Angelgear x 5(!), The Arkwrights, Ashford, The Aviators, Rob Ball, Philip Barebones, Chris Bath, Bodyhost x 2, Adam Boucher x 2, Brenda, James Bright, Carmen Rosa, Carmichael, Citizen, Kurt Cooder, Cymbiotic, Dali's Cat, Steve Dalzell, Del Nil, De Squeran, The Deads x 2, Deville, Dumbfounded, Echobeat, The Elements x 2, Fade Out, Fake Ray, Fly Monkeys Fly, Funk Yer Mum, Geko, Get Amped, Gilkicker, Golden Section, Alaistar Goodwin, GROOVE, The Gun Show x 2, Luke Haines, The Heights, Hobos and Eskimos, Hold Fast, Hudson 10 x 2, The Light Divided, Lisa Lindley Jones, Kid Idiot, Introducing: Emergency Music, Leptany, The Lights Shine, Mantis & The Prayer, The Masters x 3, Jo McCafferty, Dave Miatt, The Mindless Ones, Momentum, Moses x 2, Mrs Poopars Automobiles, Mumble, No Skidoo, Openroom x 2, Matt Park, Mrs Burns, The Plymouths x 2, Red Campion, Relentless, The Ridgeway, Rivers of Sound x 2, Rockshore, Roland Shanks, Rolling Dog, Rossco, The Rudimentary Confusion, Rushing With Apathy, Sallyforth, Salvage, Sarah & Lewis, Saturdays and Sundays, The Shake, Silent Radio, Sine Star Project, Sister Divine, Spearmint, The Stations x 3, The Strange Death of Liberal England x 2, Tamerlane x 2, Temple, They Don't Sleep, Tomboy, Trinity, The Undefined, The Vice, The Visitors, Jon Walbrin, The Waves, The Way, The Waysters x 2, Whitewash, Vaughan Williams, Wireless, Wiservice x 2, Zodiac

Thursday 1st March
Southampton Talking Heads

The Dawn Chorus
Relentless
Philip Barebones

Well these gigs happen. We only played to about 10 people, but then we only brought along 7 or 8 so of course we can't complain. It wasn't particularly unenjoyable, it was just very empty. This was our last gig ever without Paul, so in a way it was nice to draw a line under the old DC with our 50th gig and now we're ready to move onwards and upwards, or possibly sideways. A few points of note:

• Ben from Dlugocecki (sp?), who was the promoter, is an absolute legend. A genuinely funny bloke. Sample of conversation:

Ben: What do you do for a job then?

Me: I'm a supply teacher.

Ben: Oh I'm a teacher too. But I don't take any shit.

Me: I have to take lots of shit, it's in the job description. But at least I can go home afterwards and forget about it.

Ben: Yeah you can just go home and have a wank.

This might not seem funny on paper, but the straight faced manner in which it was delivered was brilliant.

• The chippy next door to Talking Heads serves the most ridiculously over-sized sacks of chips you have ever seen. But they are a bit shit. Quality over quantity in future boys, quality over quantity.
• Relentless were lovely folks, but nothing quite strikes dread into the soul like the following sentence: 'This is called Paint your Target, It's a cover by Fightstar'. Nice.
• Leffe on Tap > Hoegaarden on tap any day

xx

Emma's 21st
Maison de Simpson

The Dawn Chorus

Ouch, it is quite cringeworthy playing at a house party. It's only a few notches above picking up an acoustic guitar at a house party and playing Time of your Life by Green Day or something equally terrible. Luckily we had all had a few bevvies so it was bearable. Somehow - at our quietest gig ever - Neil managed to snap a string. At the same time, Keith realised that he was desperate for the toilet, leaving me and Simps to battle through an impromptu and quite shonky drum 'n' acoustic version of The Decemberists' 'We Both Go Down Together'. I had to work out the midle 8 off the top of my head and I managed it apart from the last chord, which I didn't think was too bad. As more and more drinks went down, Neil began to give me some proper schoolyard bullying about my weight, telling me that I'm holding the band back by being the only member over 10 stone (other than Matt, but he's well hidden behind the drums.) But as I told him, I have a physique, whereas he is just a weed with a buddha belly.