Hey, you know that gig I mentioned a couple of blog posts back? Well here it is. We played 11 songs (actually surprisingly well) and what’s not to like about a sweaty man in his 30s playing drums in a Xmas jumper? (Great drum fills after around 39:40! ha!)
Setlist:
1. One of Five a Day
2. Valentine
3. Cosmonaut (At the Drive In Cover)
4. Song 1 (Gang of Jealous Pistols)
5. A Wing & A Prayer
6. Vitiminium
7. Do What You Want
8. Settle
9. He Giveth (MeccaMen)
10. Broken English
11. Paint Your Own
You know, “back in the day” I used to do a lot of music stuff. Now I don’t do so much. But here’s me doing a bit. I play drums in a band called The Pistol Gang & The Preacher (with Sam of Rich Keeble Vanity Project fame and Matt Jarman of Goodbye Sergeants fame). We’re doing a gig on Saturday at Matt’s studio in Tottenham. Why not come along!
Paint Your Own
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RzILkhDodY]
Broken English
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KskaqAZaiss]
On Saturday 11th December, the Pistol Gang went back to the Dublin Castle in Camden, the venue for our first (disastrous) gig where Sam cut his eye open with his guitar. This time he cut his head open again, but by smashing the mic into his head repeatedly. Don’t try that at home kids.
It was actually a great gig though: Matt was back for a one-off on bass, and I really enjoyed locking in with him. I also didn’t play like shit because I was sober, and a random guy I met on the train the day before came along and bought be drinks afterwards. That all actaully cancelled out the annoyance from the 2 pretentious twat bands who each insisted on bringing their own drums, but then wouldn’t let anyone else use them. Get over yourselves.
It saddens me to report that bass playing, moustache growing, and fellow Goodbye Sergeants moonlighter extraordinaire Matt Jarman has decided to leave The Pistol Gang & The Preacher. There’s not a lot more for me to say at this point, other than Matt will still be playing in Goodbye Sergeants, and that I will post any further news as to who will fill the now vacant bassist slot when I know it myself. Does anyone care? Is anybody listening?
One of the things that I find increasingly annoying is when people brag about how much they drink like it’s impressive. You know the kind of thing: “I tell you what, I certainly put a lot away last night!”, or: “well you know me, 1 or 2 pints normally turns into about 8 or 9! You know what I’m like!”. Yes, big wow. It’s for this reason that I am embarassed at having to admit that yet again, I was pretty much well on the way to being ruined by the time we went on at nearly 23:00 at the Marlborough in Camberwell.
This was for 2 reasons: the first being that we’d been there from about 20:00. We were actually supposed to be there at 19:00 but we got stuck in traffic. (God, imagine what would have happened if I’d been there drinking since 7! You know what I’m like! Wahey!! etc.)
The second reason was that the venue were very kindly giving us Free Beer. We didn’t expect this, in fact we rarely do. Only a handful of venues I’ve played in have really gone to town on the Free Beer as far as I can remember. The Watershed in Wimbledon always kindly gives you a few bottles, The Northern Monkey in Leeds were the same, The Swan in Ipswich were actually very generous with drinks and food actually…
Anyway, being on a bit of a money saving mission at the moment, and the fact that I’m incredibly classy, I’d bought some cans from a garage on the way up which I intended to neck in the car and in the street just to get ‘in the mood’, so I was pleasantly suprised.
I don’t know about you, but I always feel a little uneasy accepting free stuff off people who are very nice, but then the more you drink the less uneasy and embarrassed you become, and the quicker and quicker you knock them back. They were also kind enough to give us free pizza, so for this generosity we thank them again, and happily plug them.
Incidentelly, I don’t think the headline band knew there were Free Beers, as they inexplicably left before soundcheck.
One of the other bands on the night were The Perry Lane Sect which were interesting in that they are influenced by Can. Can are one of those bands that it’s kind of cool to reference so I was over the moon when I actually managed to successfully start a conversation about Can with the singer. I’ve never felt cooler. I think I remember Thom Yorke used to cite Can as his favourite band back in the mid-90’s, around The Bends, and talk about how they ripped off the opening track on Tago Mago for Planet Telex.
On to more important matters though, it seems that our very own Matt Jarman has become quite a chameleon, appearing to change his appearance even more often than Sam gets mistaken for Russell Brand. Here he is sporting a hairstyle I believe was fashioned with the help of duct tape:
OK so yet again, as we were soundchecking at 7-something and weren’t on stage till 10-something, I managed to be drunk once again despite my best efforts to only have ‘a couple’ beforehand. However, I think it was the best show so far, and it was cool crowd. Also got to hang out with The Sneaks, a pretty cool band from New Zealand who’s bassist James wore a helmet with a mic stuck in it the whole show. Yeah it’s been done but I love that shit.
Matt’s friend Keefer, who is possibly both the nicest and the most tattooed man I’ve ever met, did some videoing too which was very kind of him. You can check out 2 of the songs below: our cover of Biffy Clyro’s Eradicate the doubt (I made a little mistake but it’s not that obvious), and our song Valentine.
Pistol Gang & The Preacher – Valentine
[youtube=http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=YTob0S99C9Y]
Pistol Gang & The Preacher – Eradicate The Doubt (Biffy Clyro)
[youtube=http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=jp6H1Tvw8-o]
I should also emphasise that although you can hardly see me in these videos at all, I really was there. It wasn’t just Sam and Matt and a drum machine. A drum machine wouldn’t make mistakes like that for starters. Also, check out Matt’s tash. Isn’t he handsome? He should definately bring that back.
So it’s taken me a while to write this because we only just got the photos back, but even now I would have to say, that was probably the most ramshackle gig I have ever played, but also one of the most fun.
We had a good turnout considering most people who know us at this stage are probably south of the river, so thanks to everyone who made the effort, especially on a school night. Sorry we played every song about ten times as fast as it should’ve been.
everything always sounds better if you shout
Probably the most memorable bit for me was at the very end during Vaudeville when I was just making a load of random noise on the kit, then looked up to see Sam’s guitar on the stage, and Sam in the crowd with blood all over his face. The crazy young scamp had only gone and split his eyebrow open with his guita hadn’t he! Bless him. Went to A&E and everything. The youth of today.
Sam LeGassick teams up with Queens of Noize on BBC Music 6 at 8pm – 10pm to do his own mix. You can listen to it through either DAB (digital radio), online on http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/ or Sky 0120, Freeview 707, Freesat 708, or Virgin 909/
He even managed to play our own crappy demo for The Answer!
