Blog
Australia, UK and finishing the new Album
3 March 2010by Noble Comment [7] (7)We are back in England now, and have finally shaken off the jetlag.
There are still dreams of Kangaroos, Fruit Bats, Cockatoos, Little Creatures beer, Sun, Sea and Wobbegongs.
It was great to get out to Australia and play our first shows out there.
We did 2 club shows, 2 outdoor festivals and a Man of Aran performance at the Perth International Arts Festival, in the lovely Astor Theatre.
The Man of Aran show was notable for the diverse attendees. From young hipsters to the blue rinse brigade (one in a Primal Scream t-shirt).
There were lots of Irish ex-pats coming for some romance of the bygone, but sadly no Pitjantjatjara.
Incredibly, with such a mixed ages crowd, there were only 2 walkouts, and we received a standing ovation.
Woody forgot his boiler suit in Perth, so he tried a childrens sleeping bag on.
BSP were fully prepared for 37C temperatures.
Abi met a Kangeroo with low dangling knackers.
Hamilton met a Dugong/Sea Cow/Manatee in Sydney Aquarium.
Koala Slumped
Woody Slumped
This is Phils deep vein thrombosis leg after 21 hours on a plane.
Thanks to everyone who helped set up the tour, and to everyone who came along to see us. Hopefully we can come back soon.
Returning home to see David Cameron doing a publicity jog on Brighton seafront, and hearing that BBC 6 Music may be closing down were unwelcome pieces of news.
You can show your support for 6Music by signing the petition.
http://www.petition.fm/petitions/6musicasiannet/1000/
You can also give your views on the BBC strategy review directly to the BBC here.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/consultations/departments/bbc/bbc-strategy-review/consultation/consult_view
On an uplifting note, we go into the studio at the end of the week to mix the new album, which will be all wrapped up in a few weeks. We’re all very positive about it, and will hopefully be able to let you hear a track in a months time.
There will be a few live dates at the end of April / early May too.
Mostly regular shows, and some Man of Aran shows.
The Tan Hill Festival (which is shaping up nicely) will also go ahead this year, on one glorious weekend in early May.
Noble
Thanks
28 February 2010by Noble Comment [3] (3)Thanks to all who set up the australian tour, and all who came to the shows. You’re a good lot. Hope to come back soon. Yan. x
6 Music to close down?
27 February 2010by Noble Comment [1] (1)Please read below, complain to the BBC and sign this petition to try and stop 6 Music closing down
https://consultations.external.bbc.co.uk/departments/bbc/bbc-strategy-review/consultation/consult_view
http://www.petition.fm/petitions/6musicasiannet/1000/
Keep Marc Riley playing all those ace songs and sessions.
He’s a better DJ than window cleaner.
Union leaders have warned of industrial action after reports that the BBC is planning to close two national radio stations and scale back its website.
The broadcasting union Bectu and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) accused the BBC of bowing to pressure from politicians and commercial rivals.
According to the reports, BBC Asian Network and 6 Music will be axed as part of the cost-cutting proposals.
The corporation said details of the strategy review had yet to be agreed.
Leaders of Bectu and the NUJ said they met a BBC director on Friday and were told the reports in the Times newspaper were “largely correct”.
They expect to meet the BBC’s director general Mark Thompson next week.
‘Political climate’
In addition to the reported closure of BBC Asian Network and 6 Music, the BBC is to reduce the number of its web pages by half and cut online staff by a quarter, the reports said.
The moves, according to the Times, are part of a strategic review which places quality ahead of quantity. Imported TV shows and sport are also set to be cut.
‘Leaked’ review – at a glance
The proposals would reportedly yield savings of £600m, which could be redirected to higher quality programming.
Some commentators have said the BBC’s plans were an appeasement to an anticipated Conservative government that believes the BBC should be cut down to size.
Gerry Morrissey, Bectu’s general secretary, said the union would oppose the closures and claimed the BBC was “being bounced by its competitors and by the political climate ahead of the upcoming general election”.
NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said the union would “fight the cuts with all its might”.
“If true, these cuts will result not just in the loss of hundreds of jobs, but the loss of valuable, quality output aimed at young people and the Asian communities,” he said.
“We will do everything that’s required, including taking industrial action, if necessary, to defend jobs at the BBC.”
‘Cultural vandalism’
The BBC said speculation was premature and the proposals would be presented to the BBC Trust in the near future. If approved, they are then expected to be put out for public consultation.
Despite the lack of confirmation over the fate of the digital radio stations, their supporters have spoken out against the leaked proposals.
Phill Jupitus, who was the first breakfast show host on the station, writes in Saturday’s Guardian: “Cutting 6 Music is an act of cultural vandalism, and an affront to the memory of John Peel.”
Sunny Hundal, editor of Asians in Media magazine, told BBC 5 live that cutting the Asian Network would deprive listeners of a valuable place where Asian content was integrated with mainstream output.
“There are a lot of people in Britain who produce hybrid British-Asian music and culture and they want to see some of that culture on display,” he said.
BSP Vs The Witch and the Robot
25 February 2010by Noble Comment [1] (1)I recently remixed a song by The Witch and The Robot called “Hetero”
It is released on Feb 22nd with the Double A-side single ‘Giants’ Graves / Hetero’
For more info visit http://www.myspace.com/thewitchandtherobot
yours,
Noble
Feb shows - Stage times
8 February 2010by Noble Comment [1] (1)Stage times for upcoming shows are roughly as follows…
8th Monday – Aldershot
21.20 – 10.50
9th Tuesday – London Scala
21.35 – 23.00
10th Wed – Brighton Audio
20.30 – 22.00 – (Early finish as there is a club night after)
Some of us will be DJing at Riki Tiks bar from 11pm
11th Thurs – Kingston
22.30 – 23.15
Newsboost Stercorarius
25 January 2010by Noble Comment [8] (8)BRITISH SEA POWER
Newsboost Stercorarius – 25 January 2010
*Free bird-themed compilation. *Streaming of exclusive, unique and undivided BSP demo.
Dear all,
BSP guitarist Noble has compiled a bird-themed music compilation
exclusively for the Caught By The River website.
It features selections from Happy Mondays and Nico to Leadbelly and Gilbert &
Sullivan.
As a preview, a previously unavailable demo version of the BSP track The Great Skua can be heard today at the Caught By The River site. Please find
the URL below.
The compilation will be disseminated via email on Wednesday 27th January
this week. To have it sent to you, just register your email with the fair
and friendly CBTR mailing-list again via the CBTR website.
http://caughtbytheriver.net/
With thanks.
Yours,
The Secretary
Australia
21 January 2010by Noble Comment [4] (4)We’re heading off to Australia soon for the first time, leaving ‘Frozen Britain’ behind for a week.
We’ll be playing a few standard issue rock sets and a couple of Man of Aran shows too, that is if Yans 3/4 size Cello doesn’t get smashed up by the airlines game-for-a-laugh baggage handlers.
The first few things that sprang to my mind when i found out we were going to Australasia were firstly, sunshine, and the chance to have group break before we mix our new album in March.
Secondly, was the fantastic Flying Nun Record label, especially the recent-ish Stephen Malkmus cover of the Verlaines song “Death and the Maiden” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-GqgN00Kr0
Thirdly, was the time jovial aussie Barry Humphries stole our rider.
It was at Sir John Betjemans (the late Poet Laureate) centenary celebrations.
The event was at the hoity toity ‘Prince of Wales Theatre’, and we performed a cover of Jim Parker and John Betjemans song ‘The Licorice Fields in Pontefract’.
Backstage, sat amidst Richard E Grant, Ronnie Corbet, Nick Cave and Joanna Lumley, we were asked to hide the bands drinks rider from Barry Humphries.
While our backs were turned, a litre bottle of vodka went missing.
30 minutes later Barry Humphries alter ego ‘Sir Les Patterson’ was fervently spraying saliva over the front 3 rows of upper crusters. Good Lad.
Later that evening our shopkeeper, wearing nothing but a victorian bathing suit, shook the hand of Prince Charles and caused a full security alert whilst the newspapers snapped away. Sir John Betjeman would have laughed.
Australia here we come.
Noble
(We aren’t able to make it to NZ this time, but we live in hope)
New Album - Finishing Line.
6 January 2010by Noble Comment [7] (7)Over the last year we’ve been writing and recording in 2 BSP retreats.
In a farmhouse by the curvy East Sussex Downs, and in a crofters cottage on the Isle of Skye, where the Minke Whales pass by and the Fulmars spit at you.
We’re in the final stages now.
Recording is about 95% finished, and mixing will be finished shortly after we get back from touring in Australia.
The album is like our lovely new bride.
Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
New Years Eve
8 December 2009by Noble Comment [9] (9)For the last 2 years we’ve had private parties upstairs at the Hope in Brighton, but this year we’ve moved on to pastures new, to The Grand Central, opposite Brighton train station, and are opening the door to a 100 strangers.
Entertainment will come in the form of live music plus Brighton based DJ’s including members of British Sea Power (YANScott, Noble), Brakes (Marc Beatty), Electric Soft Parade (Alex White), David Gedge (Wedding Present) and Graham Sutton (BSP & Brakes producer) etc… and live music from Wife Sounds! (playing covers and original soca songs). Plus a pub quiz from Susie Q, and amateur limbo dancing.
This event is for ticket holders only. Tickets are £8 from Wegottickets, Rounder Records and Resident.
Wegottickets link
http://www.wegottickets.com/event/67739
The evening is called ‘CALYPSO AT MIDNIGHT’, featuring sunny songs from the 40s, 50s and 60s such as ‘Rum and Coca Cola’, ‘The Dumb Boy and the Parrot’, ‘The Sausage’, ‘Mamma Looka Boo Boo’ and ‘Bulldog Don’t Bite Me’.
The evening won’t be strictly Calypso for those who can’t handle too much fun.
DJs will bring you Krautrock-Pop-Soca-Post Punk-Americana-Calypso-Indie-Rock&Roll-Blues-Shoegaze & Surf etc.
Bring some music with you too, because at some point the DJ spot will be open to the floor for you to play a few songs.
Please note, neither British Sea Power nor Brakes will be playing live.
yours,
Noble
Work in Progress
14 November 2009by Noble Comment [10] (10)We are well into recording and writing our 5th album, and have over 15 songs on the go. Graham Sutton (who mixed DYLRM?) has moved into the rented Farmhouse where Yan has been living the last year and it’s all coming together piece by piece.
We hand over bits of the jigsaw and Graham puts it together.
The overall picture is slowly emerging.
Some light relief during the short days…
http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=1538
China & Jersey
21 October 2009by Noble Comment [24] (24)We’ve just returned from the Far East and are now back in the thick of recording our new album.
Over in China, we didn’t play the Modern Skies festival in the end, but ended up busking on the Great Wall of China.
With no real venue or audience to play to in Beijing we played and acoustic show to a field of hundreds of goats and sheep.
We played an acoustic show on a lake, where a man stood on a pillar in his swimming trunks and sang opera.
After Beijing, we played two riotous shows in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Everywhere the food was incredible (we saw no dog on any menu), nothing like Chinese Food over here. Spicy. Mint with chillies. Dim Sum and Hot Pots. Kidley beans. Many mushrooms.
We drank lots of the rice spirit Baijiu (pronounced “By Jove” i think) and went beserk.
Our manager got a black eye.
We walked round the forbidden city in Beijing when totally jetlagged which was surreal.
I saw a Panda Bear (at Ocean Park, Hong Kong).
Saw thousands of bicycles in Beijing, and thousands of Mopeds in Taiwan.
We got to play the Chinese version of hacky-sack called Jianzi, which is a load of feathers and some rubber discs stuck together like a giant ramshackle shuttlecock. We joined in with some old chinese ladies who were far superior players.
With the help of local Hong Kong birders Paul and David, i got to see a Black Faced Spoonbill, Pied Marsh Harrier, Osprey, Purple Heron, Goshawk, Pied Kingfisher, and lots more at Mai Po wetlands reserve… so thanks to them.
We had a great time and hope to be back soon.
Thanks to everyone who came to the shows.
I think we all had a good time…
Prior to China we performed “Man of Aran” at the Branchage Film Festival in the wonderful Jersey Opera House, Jersey.
Also on the same day at the Opera House was a screening of the brilliant Sci-Fi film Moon, directed by Duncan Jones (a.k.a Zowie Bowie, David Bowies son)
The film festival put us up in a zero-facilities Martello Tower. The wind whipped up at night and the wooden window shutters clattered all night, like 20 ghost children banging on the windows. We wouldn’t want it any other way.
Now, on with recording….
Noble
Regents Park view
4 September 2009by Noble Comment [4] (4)www.soundproofmagazine.com came along to Regents Park show.
Sound Proofs Gareth Meade had never seen us play before, and chose a lovely venue for his first outing….
Walking out of Big Wheel Sunday at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park, I can hardly believe what I’ve just witnessed. Once again, it seems that the best way to approach something is with no expectations at all. I hadn’t seen British Sea Power live before and their recorded material had always interested me, if not blown me away. But on an ornate stage, several metres from where I was seated, the cool night air providing welcome relief from the unexpectedly hot London day, blown away is exactly what I was.
Several people, a forest’s worth of branches and someone dressed in a bear costume invade the stage during BSP’s encore, which sees them tearing apart “Carrion” from debut The Decline of British Sea Power. Security guards have to be on full alert as extremely overzealous fans try to climb the central plinth that is precariously keeping the canopy of the stage erect. Lead Guitarist Noble beckons at his amplifier helplessly; fearing further onslaught from the crowd. All the while the costumed caniform stalks the stage with arms raised and jaw open. It’s a far cry from the perennially serious affair that this gig started off as.
That’s not to say that there was ever an expectation of tedium. In fact, it was awe inspiring to enter the small amphitheatre and see the stage being laden with foliage, a lovingly crafted wooden structure adorned with symmetrical staircases and the fading blueness of the sky watching over it all. I did think that this setting, more typically housing stage productions of Shakespeare or (ahem) Hello, Dolly!, was unusual for the abrasive nature of BSP’s material, but the civility of it all provided reassurance of witnessing something unique.
The opening songs bore fruit for this hypothesis; “The Land Beyond”‘s emphatically understated swoon especially mimicked the grandeur of the setting. But with each song, the music got a little louder, as did the crowd. By the time they played “Remember Me”, six songs into their set, people began abandoning their seats to stand along the narrow passage between the stage and the first row. From there on in, this scene was a mainstay; if you weren’t pogoing at the front, you were standing and pumping your fist as if at a Springsteen concert.
In between songs, lead singer Yan provided some interesting and endearing anecdotes, including his “Justin Hawkins breaking out of Colditz” style plan to entertain the crowd that saw him ascending the stairs of the amphitheatre during soundcheck. Unfortunately this resulted in a twisted ankle and a cold compress being sported by the singer all night. The moral? “Safety is important”; a warning directed at the slow mania building in the audience.
Inevitably the floodgates burst. During a cacophony of feedback and foliage, the band took all of the energy that had been building up and solidified their reputation as an electrifying live band. Do You Like Rock Music’s “Waving Flags” rounded out the pre-encore set with the crowd enthusiastically singing along. Even if BSP had not come back on I think that they would have felt they received their money’s worth. But of course, the band did come back on. And got more than they, the organisers, or I bargained for. Brilliant.
Gareth Meade
Saturday 5th September - In Search of the Holy Quail
1 September 2009by Noble Comment [4] (4)On BBC Radio 4, 10.30am, Saturday 5th September, sandwiched between “Excess Baggage” and “Beyond Westminster” is “In Search of the Holy Quail”.
It’s a radio show about 3 musicians who explore the rugged terrain of the Shetland Islands in search of a Quail, presented by Marc Riley (BBC6, The Fall), Martin Noble (myself/British Sea Power) and Guy Gurvey (BBC6, Elbow).
We travel to to Sumburgh Head on the southern tip of Shetland Mainland, to a traditional Shetland music session in a Lerwick pub and to Mousa Broch, one of the world’s largest Storm Petrel breeding colonies, on their search for the elusive bird. As there are no more than four quail seen in the Shetlands during a typical season, the chances of seeing one are slim.
One mature lady birdwatcher asked what we were doing on the small island of Mousa at midnight (We were drinking Whisky, watching Storm Petrels and talking rubbish).
Once she was informed what we were doing she replied “Oh! Radio 4 has really gone downhill”
Noble
Green Man & V stage times
19 August 2009by Noble Comment [2] (2)Green Man
Friday (2 shows)
8.15pm – 9.00pm (Main Stage)
00.00 – 01.15 (Cinema tent for “Man of Aran” performance)
V Festival
Saturday and Sunday
10.00pm – 10.50pm (Virgin Media Union tent)
An interesting piece of “Man of Aran” history.
One of the “Man of Aran” Basking Shark hunters, Tommy O’Rourke, is the father of Steve O’Rourke, the late manager of Pink Floyd.
Tommys payment for appearing in the film was a family trip to London to watch the premiere screening of Man of Aran in 1934.
They never went home.
Aran Fact No.17
18 August 2009by Noble Comment [1] (1)I just heard this interesting piece of “Man of Aran” history.
One of the “Man of Aran” Basking Shark hunters, Tommy O’Rourke, is the father of Steve O’Rourke, the late manager of Pink Floyd.
Tommys payment for appearing in the film was a family trip to London to watch the premiere screening of Man of Aran in 1934.
They never went home.
Zombies? Man of Aran? Big Chill?
3 August 2009by Noble Comment [1] (1)For those going to the Big Chill Festival, you may wonder why we are playing Man of Aran to a field full of Zombies.
It’s not because you’ve been on the jungle juice, it’s because Film4 and Warp films will be filming a Zombie flick on the Thursday, and you can be in the film dressed as a zombie too.
Here is some information from their website….
The Story goes…….It’s 2018 - six years after a virus was released at the 2012 Olympics. Zombies dominate the earth and humankind has been mauled, torn and eaten to extinction.
The problem is there’s not a lot to do now that there are no humans left to rip apart… cue the first post-apocalyptic music festival curated by the undead.
Film4 and Warp Films bring you I Spit On Your Rave, a mockumentary by director Chris Boyle about the first post-apocalypse zombie music festival, and we want YOUR living corpse to take part.
All the filming will take place at the Big Chill festival, and shooting starts on Thursday 6th of August. We want thousands of zombie-costumed ticket holders to join the cast numbers, and enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the “Most Amount of Zombies Captured on Camera”.
Visit the Big Chill website, Warp Films “I spit on your rave” website.
www.ispitonyourrave.com
Sussex and Beijing
2 August 2009by Noble Comment [1] (1)We’ve just been invited to play in China in October which is exciting news.
Possibly Beijing, Taiwan and then Hong Kong. While it’s not 100% confirmed yet, it looks fairly likely.
I’m already planning a trip to the Mai Po Marshes Nature Reserve.
We hope to have a handful of new songs finished before we go, with a single released before 2009 comes to a close.
Writing/recording for the new album has been progressing well at our Pheasant Studios Farmhouse in the Sussex South Downs. I think your going to like it.
Shetland to Glastonbury
17 June 2009by Noble Comment (0)I’ve just spent a lovely weekend in the Shetland Isles doing a Radio 4 programme with Marc Riley and Guy Garvey. It’s entitled In Search of the Holy Quail, based around 3 music types going bird watching. I don’t want to spoil the story, but it should have been called Last of the Summer Winos. The show will be aired around November time.
We’ve got another week recording demos now before we travel to Glastonbury.
I’m not sure we’ll play any new songs at Glastonbury, but it will be a full Rock performance, rather than Man of Aran.
It’s quite likely there will be new songs aired at the Colchester, Morcambe, and High Rocks shows.
I went to see Jarvis Cocker last night too, and he was on fire.
He came on with a walking stick, only to dance like a cross between Beyoncé and Bill & Ben the Flower Pot Men, all night long. Rock on Jarvis!
Yours,
Noble
MAN of ARAN - out today
18 May 2009by Noble Comment [1] (1)“Man of Aran” is released today.
It comes with a DVD & CD.
Put the telly on, turn the lights off, crack open the Poteen and enjoy the waking dream.
On a related note, i’ve just started reading the first part of The Aran Islands Triolgy by Martin Mcdonagh. It’s a very funny, dark comedy, with the filming of “Man of Aran” as it’s backdrop.
One of the characters in the play calls the film “a pile of fecking shite”.
But, that was then, and this is now.
Some 21st century reviews just in…..
“Brooding, haunting, often ravishingly beautiful” – The Scotsman
“Image and sound spiral and intertwine majestically, merging like mating seahorses” – Word Magazine
“Beautiful” – Independent
“This isn’t an album you can dip into; instead dive in and sink to the bottom and let it gloriously wash all over you” – NME
DJ Set - Thur 14th - Brighton
9 May 2009by Noble Comment [117] (117)On the opening night of the Great Escape we will be DJing at the hotel Pelirocco for 4 hours from 8pm. The bar stays open late.
Thursday 14th May
www.hotelpelirocco.co.uk
BSP Return & MAN OF ARAN
27 April 2009by Noble Comment [2] (2)Finally the website is up and running again.
What have I missed?
Well, we’ve just performed 2 “MAN of ARAN” shows.
Thanks to everyone who came to the Duke of Yorks in Brighton, and the BFI in London. It was a lovely time, and the standing ovations were warmly received. Thankyou.
We were excited to learn that Jim Parker, who wrote all the music for the late Poet Laureate, John Betjeman LPs came along to the BFI and was very impressed. High praise indeed.
Congratulations to anyone who fell asleep too. Sleep always overcomes me during “It Comes Back Again”, about the same time the films “Son of Aran” nods off. It is hypnotic and dream like.
The CD/DVD of MAN of ARAN is due out in a few weeks.
The album is mostly instrumental, and features many new songs, plus re-recorded / re-worked versions of True Adventures, The Great Skua, North Hanging Rock, and a cover of Jeff Alexanders “Come Wander With Me”.
What else is new?
Work on our 5th Album is well underway.
Hamilton has hot running water in his Bothie on the Isle of Skye.
Yan made a cosmic alternative soundtrack to Man of Aran.
I walked 100 miles across the 2 Moors Way (Dartmoor to Exmoor)
I’ve just finished remixing a new Manic Street Preachers song called “Me and Stephen Hawking” (which ended up sounding Joe Meek-esque, with an underlying calypso feel).
Stephen Hawking is quite ill at the moment and sadly couldn’t rap on the remix. We wish him well.
Woody became a proud father.
Someone called Pressbutton has done a BSP remix featuring both “All in it” and “Carrion” which will give away free to everyone in the near future.
The London Bulgarian Choir are confirmed as main support for our London Regents Park show.
More later,
NOBLE
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