Leave Your Friends Behind

Tuesday

2010-04-13T13:59:00.000-07:00

After that cringeworthily unfunny blog about our trip to London, I have paid less attention to the 'Leave Your Friends Behind' blog than I maybe should have. So now is the time to re-start Brilliant Mind's internet marketing strategy- I'm talking about BLOGS, TWITTER, MAILING LISTS, EXCLUSIVE FACEBOOK PROMOTIONS, IMPROVISED GIGS ON CHATROULETTE and maybe even WEEKLY SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS.

Because, lets face it, that is definitely what the fans want, so who am I to deny it to them?

I'm also gonna write some songs and that too, at some point.

Anyway, it looks like our single launch will be taking place on the 4th of June at the Cluny 2 as a kind of joint launch thing with O'Messy Life. However, this may all fall through, so don't cancel your static caravan holiday in the Lakes quite yet, cause the deposits are rarely refundable on those things.

After our London visit and Fierce Panda EP release we somehow didn't become overnight pop superstars, and played a gig the next week at the Head of Steam to 12 people. We followed this up with a pretty fun gig in Hull supporting the magnificent Notebook (www.myspace.com/thenotebook2006), then a gig in Durham with the Bluetones which was alright.

Last saturday we played Durham again, this time with the Heartbreaks, who were sickeningly ace, but Sunday was even better, as we played a charity gig for the National Society for Epilepsy organised by Mick Ross. The line up was class (Holy Mammoth and Mammal Club especially) and the whole atmosphere was really friendly, plus over £1500 was raised for the charity! Plus our set was apparently, y'know, quite good.

I got a load of films developed the other day and in amongst the rubbish were a few shots of the band, so to conclude this post:

From the End Bar in April 2009...

Can anyone shed any light on who the guy above is? He's wearing my glasses but I really don't recognise the face...

London

2010-03-03T15:18:00.001-08:00

So, we went to London.

I met everyone at Newcastle station at 10:35am. I was fifteen minutes late, which is pretty good going for me. We struggled through the ticket barriers and over the bridge with a trolley full of gear, and lugged it all into the guards van, who looked confused when we offer him money, totally oblivious to fact it's supposed to cost £5 per item.

The guards van itself is pretty exciting, it has a mesh cage type thing and makes me want to play a song to hordes of screaming teenage girls like in A Hard Days Night, but I realise that if I do this I won't get the window seat, so I make a sharp dash to coach D before Joe can claim shotgun.

Southbound on the east coast mainline

Who says the south east has no decent scenery?

The journey is relaxing- I take close up photos of peoples faces, eat cheese and marmite sandwiches and bitch about all the bands in the NME. When we pull into Kings Cross things get a little more stressful- we all bicker about how exactly to get a taxi to the venue, and the gear to person ratio required for effective band transit. "Smile!" I say to Kate, and she grimaces as I take the photo. I take a photo of Joe's face, of James' arm, of a passing taxi. "Fuck off with the camera, Calum!"

I take the tube.

Taxi stress

At Great Portland Street normality is resumed, once I eventually find 229 (the venue). The Heartbreaks are the only other band there, and we have a lovely chat with them, complimenting each others songs on the Fierce Panda ep we trekked down here to launch, and after various hours spent wandering around in the rain, we're back at the venue for soundcheck.

I'm feeling slightly rubbish at this point, what with the holes in my shoes and the fact that some guy is taking up the ENTIRE sofa opposite ours by lying, stretched out, reading a book, despite being fully aware that half of team BM are standing around with nowhere to sit.

However, this feeling of despair is not to last, as Kate hands me a veg samosa, David Wala arrives and sofa guy gets shouted at to "get up and put yer rubber gloves on, those toilets need to be spotless by 8pm!"

Our unsuccessful attempt to reserve a table

The gig was great, and contrary to popular belief, the "London Audience" didn't stand there motionless, barely raising an eyebrow at the end of each song. In fact, everyone seemed quite into us, clapping and cheering and letting me get away with the most banal banter known to man. Tom Robinson came down to see the set, as well as Chris Trew (Newcastle promoter), various friends of various band members, and some distant relation of Joe's, who rather amusingly mistook me for Josef for a good five minutes. It was also our first gig using DSC's Hammond organ which proved to be just as much of a success as the gig itself.

The Heartbreaks were up next, and boy, were they great! I'm going to do another blog post about them sometime soon, so I won't say all that much here, only that they sounded like Elvis Costello and The Smiths, held at gunpoint by Phil Spector.

The Crooks, The Hoodlums and The Molotovs were also excellent, but we were all pretty tired by this point and I couldn't appreciate them as much as I'd have liked to. Being the fools we are (more on that later) we packed the gear away in a little back room, and left 229 for bed (or rather, a sleeping bag on the floor of some student halls, thanks to the charming Chris).

Portacamel- Kate at the Saatchi

The next day was great fun- Sister Ray, smoothies, Rough Trade (who had sold out of the 'Zip It Up' ep, and where we all were interviewed for a Italian documentary about vinyl), a calzone for lunch, then over to the west part of the city to meet some people at a music publishing company, and finally to the Saatchi for an hour or so.

Meeting back at Kings Cross, Joe delivered some awful news- James' bass guitar has been stolen. Obviously we were all pretty pissed off about this, cause 229 was supposedly locked up all night, and why anyone had stolen a bass and left Joe's guitar was a mystery to all of us. But there was nothing we could do except promise to raise the funds for a new guitar as soon as we possibly could. It meant we left on a bit of a downer, though.

I was pretty upset on the train ride home that the only vegetarian 'winter warmer' meal they had at the cafe/bar was some thing with flatbread and mushrooms, so I bought about five chocolate muffins instead. The train didn't get in till 00:30, and then there was a struggle with amplifiers and organs, a taxi home and a nice warm bed, until my early morning 'New Deal for Musicians' meeting the next day. But my New Deal advisor seemed pretty impressed, at least.

Zip It Up released today

2010-02-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Zip It Up, a Fierce Panda EP featuring Brilliant Mind among other excellent bands, has been released today. It's available to order from Rough Trade among others, and for those who find cardboard packaging offensive, you can also get it from iTunes.

It's semi-exciting having a song on itunes, but it made me laugh when I saw our popularity rating:

compared to the popularity of the other tracks on the EP:

So basically, our collective mother's have all bought an mp3 today. Awww.

My favourite Numero Group record covers

2010-02-02T16:28:00.001-08:00

Words cannot describe how much I love this record label. I could spend all day droning on about them, but for now I'll let the truly stunning artwork speak for itself:

Zip It Up

2010-01-31T12:36:00.001-08:00

What a cover:

And now the press release:

A fierce panda presentation

The Artists: VARIOUS
The Release: THE ‘ZIP IT UP’ EP
The Formats: SIX(ISH)-TRACK COMPILATION EP ON DOWNLOAD & CD
The Tracklisting:
1.BRILLIANT MIND ‘Leave Your Friends Behind’
2.THE CROOKES ‘Yes, Yes, We’re Magicians’
3.THE HEARTBREAKS ‘Jealous, Don’t You Know’ (demo version)
4.HOODLUMS ‘Not A Love Song’
5.IDEALS ‘These Seasons’ (demo version)
6.THE MOLOTOVS ‘One Up On Me’
7.SKETCHES ‘This Sir Is War’
The Release Date: FEBRUARY 22ND 2010
The Catalogue Number: NING 229
The Launch Party: WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 24TH @ LONDON 229 (THE MOLOTOVS + HOODLUMS + CROOKES + THE HEARTBREAKS + BRILLIANT MIND)

The Concept: on February 24th 1994 fierce panda launched itself upon a fearsomely unsuspecting public with its first ever release, the ‘Shagging In The Streets’ EP, which featured six New Wave Of New Wave-ish bands (see These Animal Men, S*M*A*S*H, et al) sprawled across a pair of 7” singles. This inadvertently set the panda agenda for years to come as the drunkenly-titled six track likes of ‘Return To Splendour’, ‘Mortal Wombat’, ‘Screecher Comforts’ and – of bloomin’ course - ‘Otter Than July’ defied the laws of language whilst showcasing dozens of eager new ‘turns’.

But people change. They always do. A decade down the line the panda grew up and starting focussing on proper albums by proper bands like Art Brut, The Raveonettes, Hatcham Social, The Walkmen and Goldheart Assembly. And ‘indie’, in its most commercial sense, jolly well went overground. In a world where Pete Doherty was front page news and Arctic Monkeys were bigger than the arctic the kids had no need for the panda’s six track peculiarities and so the ‘On The Buzzes’ EP, which featured Razorlight, The Rakes and The Rocks, quietly put the format to bed in 2004. Until now.

And by ‘now’ we mean February 22nd 2010 when, very nearly sixteen years to the day since ‘Shagging In The Streets’ hit the streets, fierce panda will be returning to the classic six-track compilation EP format to celebrate their sixteenth birthday. In the true spirit of these malfunctioning retail times there will be no double 7” vinyl release, just a limited CD run and a download release. And in the true spirit of the musical era, with its XXXX-Factor factories and pop-obsessed airwaves, fierce panda has been lurking underground and putting two and two and three together and coming up with the ‘Zip It Up’ EP, featuring six(ish) brrrrrrand new bands from the post-post-post Libertines generation with a penchant for the more intellectual things in life.

Number fetishists amongst you may care to note that the ‘Zip It Up’ EP features seven, not six bands. We got, uh, over-excited. You may also care to observe that the catalogue number of the ‘Zip It Up’ EP is NING 229. The launch party is taking place at the 229 in Great Portland Street. And the CD version will be limited to 229 numbered copies.

As ever with these fierce panda EPs there is a thread running through the bands. Or in this case, threads. There’s a tidy haircut here, a nicely buttoned down shirt there, a smartly-rolled-up Levi trouser leg in between. Then there are the sparky, chirpy influences – a flutter of Housemartins, a flick of Haircut 100, a splash of The Smiths, a dash of Orange Juice.

Remedial indierock this is not: there is passion, ambition, a desire to strive for more than three grubby chords and five minutes in the limelight from a new generation of romantics who, after years of corporate gluttony and indie greed, are just Getting On With It. In a very sartorial sense several of these people would have made the front cover of Smash Hits in 1984. And yet in another musical sense these are the very bands who messing with the modern wires, putting out the post-indie boom fires and quite possibly raging against Florence & The Machine. Rip it up and start again...

www.fiercepanda.co.uk

THE ZIP IT UP BANDS
(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

BRILLIANT MIND are five young pups from the North-East who possess some lovely popping bass lines and jaunty, jangular pop moves. These people could have supported Hurrah! in 1985, and it would have been ace. “Quintessentially British indie pop seems to be making a comeback of late, and Brilliant Mind are championing this revival…an exhilarating band to behold.” – Linsey Teggert, Narc Magazine
www.myspace.com/brilliandmindmusic

THE CROOKES are four smart young chaps who base themselves in Sheffield and were born from a mutual love of ‘60s pop and rag-time indie. “The Crookes’ world is a charming one of snuff boxes, broken tea cups and lovers sharing a gasper under gas-lit lamp posts.” – Q magazine
www.myspace.com/thecrookesmusic

HOODLUMS are five dreamers from Southend by the sea who play lovelorn tunes with a raffishly soulful spirit. “Estuary boys Hoodlums are not hoodies. They have quiffs. And twangy, quivery guitar riffs.” - Artrocker
www.myspace.com/hoodlumsband

THE HEARTBREAKS are four finely-attired characters from Manchester via Morecambe by the sea who create epic, passionate soundscapes with a fearsomely jangling attitude. “This is where lipstick on your collar meets a juggernaut of guitars which veered off the motorway somewhere in the 1980s.” – Steve Lamacq, BBC 6 Music
www.myspace.com/heartbreaksband

IDEALS are four intense youths from Ipswich who bring a darker edge to proceedings by dint of some thunderous journeys into The Big Pop Sound. Up until five minutes ago they were called It’s A Trap, about which is was said: “they reflect a nationwide trend in music. The days of bands formed as a tribute to The Libertines are dying out and these fantastic new acts are taking inspiration from the likes of Foals and Bloc Party.” – BBC Suffolk
www.myspace.com/itstraptheband

THE MOLOTOVS are five debonair young men based in London Town who make extravagant, eloquent British Pop gestures, as evinced by their currently fabulous ‘And The Heads Did Roll’ mini-album. “They craft pop songs with sublime melodies and lyrics that twist and turn then pitch a camp in your heart.” – Record Collector
www.myspace.com/themolotovs

SKETCHES are four dapper young souls from Leeds who bring a slightly more stadium-esque element to the New Pop party by virtue of their admirably controlled enormosound. “Some of their stuff is urgent, groovy indie; some of it is rolling, big, tuneful-but-angry music; and some of it is creeping, atmospheric, almost soundscapey emotional indie.” – Marsha Shandur, Xfm
www.myspace.com/sketchesband

I have never heard of 'Hurrah!', ever. A google search tells me that they were from Newcastle, and signed to Kitchenware Records. This song is really quite good: Hurrah!- Hip Hip

As you can see, if this EP was judged on looks (which, of course, it is), Brilliant Mind would definitely win. Although I haven't seen photos of Ideals or Sketches yet. Maybe they're stunning, with chiseled good looks and sexy, deep man voices. Oooh.

Spectrals

2010-01-30T17:39:00.001-08:00

Basically, I really, really like the music coming from 'L' of Leeds AKA Spectrals. I'm probably wasting my breath cause it's exactly the sort of stuff that some kid will have blogged about over a year ago, but I don't read blogs and have been listening to Spectrals all evening, so if you've read this before: tough.

He released an excellent cassette on Suplex Cassettes about 8 months ago (I think), which sold out sharpish, but they did another run just before christmas, and that's when I grabbed a copy. There's the obvious comparisons/references- 60s girl group stuff, doo-wop (whatever that is), beach boys, 60s garage rock etc etc. Spectrals isn't really much like any of the aforementioned artists, and ends up sounding like Johnathan Richman singing over an early Orange Juice recording, which sounds irritating but is actually really, really good.

I'm a bit wary of all these faux-fi surf-pop bands which have sprung up of late, but I think that the strength of L's songs really sets him apart from most of these other artists. "Keep your magic out of my house" is the stand out track from his myspace, and could genuinely be a proper pop single, even though it probably won't be.

Besides the tape, Spectrals has released a 7" on Captured Tracks, has an upcoming split 7" with The Fair Ohs, a track on a 12" compilation and last but not least, a proper bona fide LP called 'Bad Penny', also coming out on Captured Tracks.

Phew.

Spectrals on Myspace

Suplex Cassettes

Captured Tracks

Recording the single

2010-01-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

After quite a bit of planning, and agonising over who to record with, Brilliant Mind have finally recorded a single. We finished it yesterday, and it has to be mixed and mastered and all that other technical stuff which I don't really understand, but we're all really quite excited about it!

We recorded it with Neil Basset, formerly of The Golden Virgins, at Room3Recording, his studio at The Bunker in Sunderland. He was brilliant to record with, and had loads of cool stuff such as vintage drumkits, a 70s Italian organ, the 'Thom Yorke microphone', a piano, lots of lamps (we didn't actually use them in a musical sense, more for ambiance) and a 1972 string synth which we put to good use in the outro of Our Osprey:

If you're in a band- go and record with Neil NOW. He's class. His email address is: room3recording@hotmail.co.uk

I'll post some more details about the single soon. In the meantime, here's a photograph of Paul relaxing in the control room and looking beautiful:

2010-01-27T18:10:00.000-08:00

Concordia Leisure Centre, Cramlington

Public Library, North Shields

KGM Refrigeration aka Brilliant Mind's practice room, Heworth, Gateshead

North Eastern Rubber Co Ltd, Fish Quay, North Shields

Swimming pool, Felling, Gateshead

Leave Your Friends Behind

2010-01-27T18:01:00.000-08:00

Leave Your Friends Behind is a blog written by me, singer of the band Brilliant Mind and resident of Newcastle and Whitley Bay. I'll be writing mainly about Brilliant Mind and our various escapades, musical and otherwise. I'll also be writing stuff about other bands I like, and about Newcastle/North Tyneside/Northumberland in general. And maybe a little about Gateshead, too.

Other things to expect: photographs, video stuff, song downloads etc etc. I'll try not to complain too much, cause I already do that quite a lot elsewhere on the internet and in real life.

Be seeing you x