The Slow Riot Collective!

So it's the 25th of December and all the frivolities are over with, and I'm bored. Again, I've been reeeeal slack with this, and there have been two gigs done since the last update (three including the one it was advertising), which were both pretty awesome and it's a shame if you missed them. The big news here is that the last one was done in conjunction with one of my best friends, John, and it just made everything so much easier so we've decided to team up on things in the future. We are now The Slow Riot Collective! Hurray! And our next gig will be the all dayer I've organised on Saturday the 17th of January, called Lanc-Faster! The details of which can be seen in the flyer above. Or if you can't, it starts at 3pm and will cost nine pounds. I realise that's a lot of money to your average Lancaster gig-goer, but hopefully people will realise that we can't really afford to do it any cheaper. Lots of great bands, it'll be worth it I promise! To whet your appetites, here is the discography so far of The Shitty Limits. It's taken straight from their myspace, so they won't mind me posting it, but if you see something available you should totally buy it. I also have the 'Here Are The Limits' 7" in my own distro if you like what you hear.

The Shitty Limits - Yesterday's Heroes (Limits)
The Shitty Limits - Limits Appear (Keep Screaming)
The Shitty Limits - Espionage (Dire)
The Shitty Limits - Straight Forward / Messin' With The Kid (La Vida Es Un Mus)
The Shitty Limits - Here Are The Limits (Static Shock)

This is more like it, some advanced warning. I like this flyer, it's the first time I've ever really tried to draw a person, and while there are some changes I'd make there's a kind of crude elegance to the whole thing, which kind of suits what's going on. Yeah okay, it's just a crap drawing and that's no justification. Who even cares? It'll be a great fucking gig and that's all that matters.

Maybe I'll go into more detail on the bands when I have time, but right now I have to go. It's more than likely I'll forget to do anything else here, so check them out yourself I guess. Or just turn up and see what they're like, I think that's the best way to do it a lot of the time. I've been fully misinformed by listening on Myspace on a number of occasions, and then been blown away by a band I didn't think I'd like. So yeah, come to the gig and see them!

Flatlands, The Freezing Fog, Hail Brethren, Hammers and The Dark Con Of Man - 06/10/08

Okay, so I've left this a little late to post up here; the gig's tomorrow. Oh well. Hopefully no-one is bothering to read this yet and it won't have made a difference. I won't go into too much detail because at this stage this post isn't really likely to be seen by anyone in time. But I will say this: You should really consider coming if you haven't decided to already.

Anxiety Attack / The Day Man Lost split CD-R

So it's been a few months, I've even done an entire gig which was never posted on here, but it doesn't matter because the first time I ever posted a link to this page was today. In case you were wondering though, it was the release show for the Manatees / The Freezing Fog split 12", which is still available on lovely white vinyl from Roadkill Records. Both the obvious bands played, and Arficeden opened the whole thing up, who are also pretty damn great. They're from Manchester too, check them out. Hopefully I'll get my arse in gear with regards to this blog now, but you never know.

The split 7" has now become a CD-R due to both bands unfortunately splitting up and the price of pressing vinyl rising, but it will be nicely packaged and will be ready for the bitter sweet final outing of The Day Man Lost at The Bitter Suite in Preston. It's across the road from 53 Degrees and the Students' Union so it shouldn't be too difficult to find. Also playing are The Wankys and Swedish Flat Pack Disaster from Leicester, Belligerent, featuring Stu and Kev of The Day Man Lost, Hello Bastards from London and Hammers, who contain people who have played with Italy/Switzerland's The Secret and the USA's Funeral Diner, as well as Nick and Andy of Run Like Hell/Anxiety Attack/Hail Brethren fame. I went down to see them with their new bassist in Stoke a few days ago and even after only a single practice with him, they really are on top form. Very loud, very heavy, very good.

So yes, come down to the gig, wherever you happen to be from, and pick up a copy of the split CD-R. It'll also have the Anxiety Attack tracks that were going to be on their split with Whole In The Head, for added extra super value (as if you need it when it'll be a pound!). It's not going to be a silly "only available from this one gig" limited edition kind of deal though, if you can't make it and want one just drop me an e-mail and I'll tell you where to send your £1.50, or however much or little it works out to be if you want wholesale rates for your distro/shop/whatever. It's going to be nicely packaged in a hand folded paper gatefold sleeve, and stamped CDs if I can get the right equipment. It'll look as nice as it can for the price anyway.

I'll post the artwork when I get it, which shouldn't be too long now I hope!

Day For Airstrikes and Hail Brethren - House Show - 24/05/08

This is gonna be rammed, so it is very important that you let me know if you're going to be coming, and ask me if it's okay to bring friends etc. It's going to be for me and Ian (from DFA)'s birthdays, which are actually the week before but some people are going to be lucky enough to be at All Tomorrow's Parties, and Mike (from HB)'s birthday, which is actually on this day. Since space is extremely limited in my basement, please don't just be turning up on the day. I can't emphasise that enough.

Anyway, Day For Airstrikes might even have their new album out in time for this, which I have the privelage of releasing on LP. If it's ready, it's gonna be the best birthday present ever! All the new songs I've been hearing are really stupidly brilliant, with all the usual post-rock elements but with some really cheeky Yes style moments thrown in. I met someone at a house party a couple of weeks ago who was really surprised to find out they were playing at my house, because he thought they were a pretty well known band after downloading Secret Whale and liking it so much, and that's their first EP! It's only gotten better since then, and they should be as famous as he thought they were, but alas they aren't. Yet.

Hail Brethren were formed with a huge amount of influence from one of my favourite bands in the world, End Of A Year, and they're not too far off their style. Think Rites Of Spring era emo. They just recorded their debut album a few days ago, and from what I've heard on the myspace it's going to be an absolutely crucial release. I actually can't wait to see them. They're current and ex-Run Like Hell; Anxiety Attack; Calculon; Hammers; Dreams Are Free, Motherfucker!; Cash For Your Stories and much much more.

There's a chance there'll be another band playing but I need to work out times and stuff. It'll probably start fairly early so it can finish early and hopefully not cause any disturbance to neighbours and stuff. I'll be going round asking for donations for the bands, please be generous!

Grinding Halt (NL), The Leif Ericsson, The Freezing Fog and Volition - 28/04/08

I'll get a flyer up here as soon as I've done one. I want to get one done before the Manatees gig, but it depends if I have a decent idea for one and enough time to get it done.

Grinding Halt are ex-Shikari and The Last Mile, two of the greatest bands to come out of the Netherlands this decade, so I'm extremely happy to be having them play in little old Lancaster. They're not just a mix of those two bands though, they're something else entirely. Well, not entirely, but they're not just re-hashing the same riffs and rhythms they've already given us. Sure, they have fast bits as you'd expect, but they also take it down to some slow, brooding, heavy bits too. In short, these guys are gonna be incredible. I never got to see Shikari but from what I've heard, their live shows were pretty frenetic, let's hope they've brought that with them too.

The Leif Ericsson, I have to admit, aren't my usual bag. Gruff punk just doesn't grip me in the same way it seems to get a lot of people. However, when The Leif Ericsson sent me their album asking if I could get them on a gig at some point, I gave it a listen and something struck me. It took a couple of songs, but I really started to like it. I haven't managed to get into anything else from the genre before or since, which is a marker for just how good these guys are.

The Freezing Fog seem to be well liked round here so I won't waste too much of your time describing them. They're ex-Beecher, but that's not really important, they sound nothing like them and they're carving their own path, shrouded in a mysterious mist. It's prog rock, and it's awesome. They have a split with Manatees coming out at some point soon too, on Roadkill Records.

Volition are "doom from the other side of the bay" as I called them last time I put them on here, about a year and a half ago. It's been way too long, but they're finally going to be playing here again. They have an album out now on Total Rust, and although I've been super-slack and not actually got myself a copy of it yet, the stuff I've heard is fucking heavy. Make sure you arrive in time to see them!

Doors are at 8, so don't be late. These bands all have fairly long sets so it'll definitely be kicking off not long after that. Usual price: four quid in.

Manatees, Flatlands, Montana and Carraway - 25/03/08

Unfortunately, Burnst have realised that they can't actually play this, but it still looks set to be pretty exciting anyway. I'll be trying to get Burnst back at the soonest possible opportunity so hopefully that won't be too long. 

Manatees were formed from the broken remains of old Lancaster favourites Second To Last, but they've taken the sound of their later work there and run with it. They've run quite a long way, they're getting noticed and playing all over the country to bigger and bigger crowds. And what's more, they really deserve the acclaim they're getting, and the Level Plane release of their album in the US. They create soundscapes that are simultaneously ambient and powerful, with some truly fierce vocals to boot, especially on the EP they recorded with the hulk-like Eugene Robinson of Oxbow and UFC fame.

Flatlands were last seen round these parts bringing the house down in a dingy basement a couple of years ago, accompanied by Red Stars Parade and Naked Shit. They were "pagan, like Neurosis" according to Rob Holden, who happened to be brandishing a tree at the time. Anyway, they're coming back, and this time they'll be playing somewhere with a bit more room to maneuver.

Montana played here a few times back in the days when there'd be amazing gigs about once a fortnight if not more often. I remember being really into it, but not much more than that. I've got a CD lying around somewhere that I should definitely make an effort to dig out before next week. They play something lying somewhere between post-hardcore and emo/screamo/whatever, a good description i've seen on a flyer or two being "like a hardcore Slint."

Carraway are comprised of ex-members of pretty much every band ever; the list is long, but it includes The Legacy, Funeral Diner and Get Stuffed. Emo used to describe a pretty good genre of music, you know? And that's exactly what these guys do, harking back to the early nineties style. So if that's what floats your boat, or if you want to find out about a genre that doesn't actually have it's roots in floppy hairstyles as you may have thought, get down early and see them. You really won't be disappointed.

The doors are gonna be at 8, but why not get down a bit earlier, enjoy a pint beforehand, and make sure you get as much value for money as possible? It's only four bells, so it's not like it's gonna be bad value even if you only catch the last band, but it'll definitely be worth your time to see the other bands.