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

4 or 5 Magicians, 900 Spaces, A-Custom, Acropolis, Action Speaks Louder, Joshua Adams, Phil Adams x 2, Afrosnatchers, The Agitator, The AKA Band, All The Shapes x 2, The All-Singing Razorblades, Allo Darlin', Lee Almeroth, Amongst the Pigeons, Analogue Manilow x 3, Becky Anderson, Matt Benham, Andy and Jack, Angelgear x 5, Apologies I Have None, The Arkwrights, CM Arnold & the Delta Breaks x2, Arty Karate, Ashford, The Autons x2, The Aviators, B for Butterfly, The B of the Bang x 38, B-Sydes, Rob Ball, Philip Barebones, Emily Barker, Charlie Barnes x 3, Chris Bath, Batrider, Caz Batten, Beans on Toast x 4, Bear and the Woods, Bear Cavalry, Beatamax x 2, Belligerence, Bemis x 2, Bendigo, The Beneski Murder, Billy Vincent x 2, Bipolar Empire, Black Carrot, The Black Lodge Band, The Steve Bland Assembly x 7, Blue Fox, Emit Bloch, Bodyhost x 2, The Boicotts, Boss Caine, Adam Boucher x 4, The Boy I Used To Be x 4, Jack Boyd, Brenda, Loz Bridge, James Bright, Brown Torpedo, Evelyn Burke, Burn the Witch, Buswell, The Cadbury Sisters, Capelle, Captain Fantastic, Carlos and the Jackal x 3, Carmen Rosa, Carmichael, Carnivores, Cassette Culture, Cats:For Peru, Helen Chambers, Citizen, Lester Clayton, Clockworks, The Clowns, Cocos Lovers, Aisling Coderoy, Collect My Years, Contra, Kurt Cooder x 2, Alex Cornish, Covernote, Creepythinguy, Crowns, Cymbiotic, Dali's Cat, Steve Dalzell, Tom Dangerous, The Day of the Rabblement x 4, De Squeran x2, Dead! Dead! Dead! x 2, The Deads x3, Deadbeat Descendent, Del Nil x 3, Stanton Delaplane, Delboy French, Depot, Deville, Different Day, The Dirty 38s, The Dirty Roger, Dive Dive, Dlugokecki, Dr Bluegrass and the Illbilly 8, Dropstone, Dumbfounded, Alex J Dunne, Dutch Husband, Echobeat, El Mariachi Pinche Gringo, Elaine Dismissed, The Elements x 2, Elle Milano, Emptifish, Enjoy Destroy, Erin and the Foundlings, The Extenders, Fade Out x 2, Fake Ray, Luke Ferre x 4, Find X Then Party, The Finds, Fine Lines, Max Fletcher, Fly Monkeys Fly, Food Fighters, Tom Fossum, Andrew Foster x 2, Frank and Jules, Fresh Legs x 3, Frisbee in the Jewel Box, Funk Yer Mum, The Gallery, Jack Garratt, Geko, Get Amped, Gilbert, Gilkicker x 2, Gintis, The Glad Rags, The Gleebs, Glen Belt, Glossary, Nick Glover (The Seal Cub Clubbing Club), The Golden Hairs, Golden Section x 2, Luke Godwin, David Goo x 2, The Good Intentions, Gary Goodman, Alaistar Goodwin, Paul Goodwin Band x 3, The Greasy Strings, David Greeves, GROOVE, The Gun Show x 5, Luke Haines, Emma Hallows, Frank Hamilton, Dave Hause, Zoe Hazell, Headstrong, Hey Sholay!, Elliott Hanan, Hardly Heroes, Hats are for Heads, The Heights, Hexicon, Higgy, Rob Himself, Chris Hobley, Hobos and Eskimos, Hold Fast x3, Holy Roller, Hometown Show x 2, The Hornblower Brothers, The Housewives, Hudson 10 x 2, Dave Hughes and the Renegade Folk Punk Band, HUMANS, I Am Jack, I Am Not Left-Handed, Idiot3, The Incredible Flight of Birdman x2, Sam Inglis, The Inklings, Introducing: Emergency Music, Ivan Campo, Ida Jacobsson, Jake and the Jellyfish, Joey Nightmare, Johnny Foreigner, Roxanne Johns x 3, Judith and the Charmers, Jukebox Vandals, Jumping Ships, Justice Force Five, The Kabeedies, Karmatribe, Kate Goes, Rich Keam, Kenarban, Kid Idiot, Kill Kasper, King Charles, Kody, Last Days of Lorca, Alexandra Legouix and the Sunflowers, Leptany, The Levels, Life of Byron, The Light Divided, Lion and the Wolf, Lisa Lindley Jones, Lines in Sand, The Lights Shine, The Little Ones, Little Things, Living in Cities, Jim Lockey x 2, The Lonely Cardinals x 2, Looking Through Glass, The Long Goodbye x 2, Long Lankin, Lost Aura, LoveLikeFire, The Lowland Runners, Austin Lucas, Peter Lyons, Richie Madisun, Mama Smokes, Mantis and The Prayer, Mantra, The Marvellous Mechanical Band, Ben Marwood x 9, Elliot Mason, The Masters x 3, Mark McCabe, Jo McCafferty, Dave McPherson, Melodramas x2, Men Diamler, Mercy Alexander, The Metropolise, The MFV, The Mindless Ones, Misty's Big Adventure, The Model Village, Momentum, The Momeraths, Mono, Monsters Build Mean Robots, The Mopes x 2, Neil Morris x 3, Rae Morris, Moses x 2, Mr & Mrs, Mr Christopher, Mrs Poopars Automobiles, Mull Historical Society, Mumble, My First Tooth, My Name is Ian x 5, The New Root, Danni Nicholls, Owen Nicholson, Franz Nicolay, Ninja Horses, No Skidoo, Nut, Stuart O'Connor, Oh Stockholm! x 2, Andy Oliver, One Suspicious Monkey, Operahouse, Openroom x 2, Ornament Birds, Otaka, Ottersgear, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool?, Out Like A Lion, Over the Wall, Oxygen Thief x 7, Matt Park, Mrs Burns, Palais x 2, Palehorse, Jackie Paper x 2, Paper Aeroplanes, Joe Parker and the Power, Chris Perrin and the Minor Falls, The Plans, Plantagenet 3, The Plymouths x 2, The Pompey Pluckers, Poppy, Porcelain Coins, Race Car Hearts, Race Horses, The Racketeers x2, Kyle Rage, Random Impulse, The Rapids, The Real Raj, The Rebs x 2, Red Campion, Red Mercury, Reikidogs, Relentless, Retrofect, Revere x8, Anna Rice, Andrew Ricks, The Ridgeway, The James Riley Band, Rivers of Sound x 3, Roadside Poppies, Rockshore, Roco, Roland Shanks, Rolling Dog, Room 6, Roshambo, Rosie and the Goldbug, Rossco x 6, Round Ron Virgin, The Rudimentary Confusion, Rue Royale, Rushing With Apathy, Sallyforth, Salvage, Sarah & Lewis, Saturdays and Sundays, The Shake, Sharks Took The Rest, She Makes War, Shit Hot Llamas!, Silent Radio, Silhouette Showgirls, Timothy Simpson, Sine Star Project, Sister Divine, Six Nation State, Skirts, Sleep Centre, The Adam Smith Effect, Dan Smith, Something Pretty, Sonic the Comic, Charlene Soraia, Spearmint, Jessica Spencer Band, Niall Spooner-Harvey x 2, Stages of Dan, The Stations x 6, Jimmy Stewart, Leigh Mary Stokes, The Strange Death of Liberal England x 6, Straylings, Subzar, Joe Summers, The Summons, Sunday's Child, Super Cannes, Supergrass (DJs), Surprise!, Surviving Sunday, Sweet Plum Trio, Sweetheart, Swift Manouvre, Chris T-T x 6, Tali Trow & The Well Being, Tamborines, Tag Team Preacher, Tamerlane x 2, Paddy Taylor, Temple, They Don't Sleep, Thomas Tantrum x 2, Three Blind Wolves, Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam, Tomboy, Transcend, Trinity, The John Trowbridge Band, Frank Turner x 5, Umdongskulen, The Undefined, The Veils, Venice Ahoy!, The Vice, Videosprint, The Visitors, Jon Walbrin, Roo Walker, The Walkmen, The Wave Pictures, The Waves, The Way, The Waysters x 2, We Walk in Straight Lines, Rich Webb, Steve Wheel, Whitewash, Wilf, Ben Williams, Ieuean WIlliams, JD Williams, Tom Williams and the Boat x 2, Winners, Wireless, Wiservice x 2, Wood Wire and Words, Michael Wookey, Wyldside, Yellowgroove, Yesterday's Notion, Youthless, James Yuill, Zegema Beach x 2, Zodiac

Saturday 18th Manchester 2013

Friday May 17th 2013
Camden Monarch, London

Ben Marwood
The Retrospective Soundtrack Players

Once I had got past the hell of finding a free parking space somewhere vaguely near Chalk Farm Road this became hugely enjoyable. It was just me and Kelv doing the show for the first time in a while, but we've got quite a good chemistry down now and it's really enjoyable to do our harmonies in a live acoustic setting. I did 'That's not Love' to open the show, it's an old DC number that I'm really gutted we never got to play much. I enjoy playing it so much that it makes me want to make a solo album. I won't though, it would probably be the most niche release since, well, the last RSP album.

There was a nice friendly vibe to the show and some people even knew the words which is lovely. There were actually almost too many people to catch up with after the show, but I think I managed to say hi to everyone I meant to. I also got to meet the band Murder By Death afterwards - they came by after their gig at Dingwalls and I managed to have a quick not-too-fanboy chat with their singer Adam and a few of the other guys. A swell evening all-told.

Sunday 31st March 2013
Lexapalooza @ Boston Arms Music Room, London

Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun
Carnivores
Palehorse
Oxygen Thief
Skirts
The Retrospective Soundtrack Players
Amongst the Pigeons
Ben Marwood
El Mariachi Pinche Gringo
Mark McCabe
Emma Hallows
Carlos and the Jackal

A wonderful day/night for a brilliant cause. I saw a huge amount of brilliant people and artists, bought a Springsteen 5-record live set for a bloody tenner - which went to charity anyway! - and played a supremely enjoyable set.

These were the acts I saw:

Carlos and the Jackal - quality folky singalongs from our good chum Addis & co.
El Marichi Pinche Gringo - insane mariachi adaptations of all your favourite pop hits. 99% enthusiasm, 1% competence. 100% enjoyable (sorry, unlike professional football managers I don't go past 100%. I'm a mathematician.)
Ben Marwood - a reverential reception for the Bard of Berkshire. Is Reading in Berkshire? I hope so.
Amongst the Pigeons - making the big dark room feel less like North London at 3pm and more like some cool club or something at a later/earlier time. Basically it was not a band of blokes or a folk singer.
Us - we had a ruddy whale of a time. I danced a jig with the audience during 'Send me the hell back home' and my glasses fell off.

Sadly I had to leave after this as my parents were heading home and offered me a lift, which I gladly took having harboured a slowly growing hangover from the previous night's festivities. Cheers folks!

Saturday 30th March 2013
Brixton Windmill, London

Austin Lucas
Glossary
The Retrospective Soundtrack Players
+ Unknown (several)

The Brixton Windmill is a favourite venue of ours with a high success ratio - in keeping, this was excellent fun. Every bank holiday they put on superb themed all-dayers - just be aware that there is a potential risk involved when eating from the BBQ. I haven't personally had a bad experience, but a bandmate who shall remain nameless has certainly 'shit the place to pieces' - as the French say - after a Windmill BBQ. And their toilets are not exactly the friendliest in which to have a 'rusty water attack'.

However, musically the place is superb and the main booker Tim is a really top guy. Lots of our good chums came down and all of the acts I saw were great, though sadly I had to leave before Austin had played. Hopefully another time...