Jazz Hands - Live @ Musoplex

word up you crazy cats!! how's it goin?! all good i hope...

remember that lil' trip to musoplex way back in january, for an interview and some filming...?! well the music video from that night has emerged from the editing suite, and is now available for your delectation via the magic of youtube... and this blog...

crazy lights, some funny faces, and a lil' bit of counting auf deutsch... educational!!

so without further ado...

Fatbwoi - Jazz Hands Live @ Musoplex

big love, and maximum thanks go out to andy and the abstract reaction video boys for making it possible, and eventually providing coffee in addition to audio visual giggles...

peace-out y'all

Fatbwoi Live @ Broken Amp 270212

word up you crazy cats!! how the devil is it going...?!

things are good one planet bwoi... a lil' crazy - but hey, we wouldn't have it any other way! there's been a couple of bursts of concentrated thang shakery in the last couple of days... and that always makes for happy time 8)

first up was some thang shakery on the hallowed boards of the broken amp...

also playing were Less For Murder, who opened the evenings proceedings with some dark melodic loveliness, a minor equipment malfunction, and some new material to boot... these are two cool cats (although i did think matt was considering battering the amp at one point!), but cool cats - trust me on this...

next up was the retinal circus, complete with pedals and crazy hat...

and then this one... with a request to hit the stage running, and a bit of caffeine in my system, i was easily ready for a bit of stompy goodness...

opened (perhaps controversially) with jazz hands, and kept the stompy vibe going straight into a 1-800/Love Once medley... always need a swig of something at this point...

really enjoyed playing hard... the middle eight on that is proper lovely pop, i may even have to extend it... the verse's are on the tongue-in-cheek nazty (yeah - with a z!) side - but that's how this cat rolls...

there was a bit of time for a burst of 'back in the day' (a lil' ATD/Ahmad inspired 'cover'), wherein the bwoi done rap about growing up in the MK, roundabouts and the like...

before closing on the one about the chicken...

it was beautiful hearing voices around the room joining in with the faux-french intro...

you gotta love that sh!t

it was a bit of a condensed set, hi-speed like they want the rail links, and not completely dissimilar to that double strength squash you get... but as any reader of this (generally quite random) blog will know...

it's all about the cherries and berries!!

peace-out y'all...

some dates for your diary...

word up you crazy cats!!

that's right... i'm back! and in line with both my civic and legal duties, i gotta give you a lil' heads up on some of the dates already in the diary for 2012...

you see, 'the powers that be' dictate that i must warn y'all as to where and whence i am to be found... i don't think they like me, but, when it all comes down to it, what the hell do they know anywho?!

these are the places i'll be... can't wait to see you there...

first gig of the year is January 26th, supporting the most-excellent gypsy rock/jazzer types 'The Magic Tombolinos' at The Musician in Leicester... fay brotherhood is also playing, and i reckon all in this is going to be a stellar night... really excited about this one!!

and my love for the broken amp boy's is one of the greatest loves in modern literary history...

                   THURS JAN 26th - The Musician, Leicester
                   -   supporting The Magic Tombolinos £7adv/£9otd - get tickets

                   MON FEB 27th - Broken Amp @ The Adam and Eve, Birmingham

                   TUES FEB 28th - NB's, Northampton

peace-out y'all

new date - Broken Amp 12/12/11

that's right you crazy cats...

there's a new date for your diary... the bwoi will be shaking that thang for your delectation live at broken amp (Mon - 12/12/11)...

we gonna party like its nearly a date that has three occurrences of the same number... (or alternatively pretend its next year and the felicitous arrangement of digits is already upon us!!)...

more details via this lil' bookface link...

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=121256217986371

see you there...

fatbwoi live @ the sunflower lounge 230711

word up y'all...

done did play me a lil' set on saturday night, downstairs at the sunflower lounge in central birmingham, where the air is hot and humid, and there is an interesting array of scaffolding and fairy lights...

although i think the more appropriate architectural term would probably be someting like 'feature'...

if ya wore it on your head, it'd definitely be a fascinator...

the occasion?! G (of mighty boomshadow fame)'s nth birthday, or 'living wake' as he preferable to call it... and i for one cannot think of a better reason for a bit of celebration...

G opened the evening's entertainment with a solo set, quality tunage delivered on his stratacoustic... and i haven't seen the big G t-shirt before, but i like it... i noticed that there were no covers in my man's set, but put it down to the shorter-sets-to-wedge-in-as-much-entertainment-as-possible nature of the night...

next up was the man-god dale perry, with a short solo set... haven't seen the man d play for a while, and i really enjoyed his set. i could still here some of the dub-no basslines i applied when i stood in on the four-string for 'I Am Locutus' at 2009's Worcester Music Festival... they probably didn't need that much dub at the time... but you can't stop a bwoi in full flow... 8)

g returned to the stage, backed by two guitars, a bass, and the living legend that is paul carroll on the skins... then delivered a supreme collection of (mostly) who covers... it was nice to see g letting his hair down, and busting some move sans guitar, and the PC groove machine in full effect is a truly excellent sight to behold, and i defy anybody not to shake their thang to his infectious rhythmic stylings...

and then i...

my man laurence (1k that's his name) welcomed me on with a properly heart-warming intro (thanks dude!!), and i was fully ready to 'do it to it'...

i played my set by request, it being G's birthday after-all!! this meant the order was a bit odd but all the goodies were there... opened with a jazz hands (my choice), and then deferred to the birthday boy...

there was some CYHMN, a bit of the kinks, and an ultra-rare outing for the tune that is 'crack whore'... (i think i've actually played that more times since christmas than in the two years previous... maybe i should write an extra verse or something, its still a big dumb bludgeoning riff, and my favourite bit has to the 'crack rocks' section) - i reckon its probably safe to put it back on the shelf for a bit...

finished with the chicken one, in duet format (with the G), and a fat pile of crowd participation right about there... and left the stage having (by request) over run my 30mins slot, covered in sweat and barely able to talk... you gotta love it!!

(the mighty) Boomshadow took to the stage to close the night's proceedings, and from the bit of their set that i saw, they were on blistering form... it was nice to see all four of them onstage (for the first time this year i think), 2011 mBS have reworked some of their stuff jus' a lil' and were really good... they're playing at the bandstand in bearwood soon (i'll try and find a link), and are always definitely worth a look-see if you haven't already...

had to make a slightly early break for the wild, to avoid the wheels being impounded... the normally safe island bar car park having been turned into a(n) (admittedly cheap) pay and display car park... with nasty warnings about tickets, documents and letters - boo.

all in, had me a really good night, especially nice to see 1k, PC, PH, dale, sam, and of course the G... (thanks for inviting me dude!)

i love his new shirt!

me next one is at worcester music festival (20th August)... and the thang is already primed and ready to go... 'sgonna be like a super-coiled spring by the time we get there...

in the meantime...

peace-out y'all

Festival Weekend - Artsfest AND Booze Fusion (September 10th/11th 2011)

word up ye crazy cats!!! how the devil(spawn) is it going...?!?

this just in, some exciting developments down home on the farm... it is with much joy and happiness that i can confirm that there's gonna be a festival weekend - hell yes!

the bwoi gone be shaking that thang across two different sites on the weekend, for your own personal delectation, and in line with my legally obliged civic duty... i just thought i'd let ya know 8)

so where does this goodness take place...?!

first up...

ARTSFEST 2011

Artsfest is the UK's largest free arts festival, and takes place over the weekend September 10th/11th. It features a series of events across Birmingham, celebrating the West Midlands most talented performers, artists and creative projects... (http://www.artsfest.org.uk/)

...and it also features me!

i'll be playing at The Flapper and Firkin on Sat 10th, fully primed up and ready to go... hitting the stage about 15.00hrs... with the whole FREE entry thing going on, excuses not to come down and bust some moves/indulge in some quality arts/music goodness are limited...

BOOZE FUSION FESTIVAL 2011

Booze Fusion is a 3day festival running from 9th-11th September at The Vic Bikers Pub in Coalville... and promises to be a top weekend of music and beer goodness!! Day tickets are a 20th century low price of £5, and camping is free (although distributed on a first come basis... so's you takes your chances)...

I'll be taking to the stage at some point on Sunday 11th September, stage time tbc...

But I'd strongly advise you to come down, there's both a main stage and an acoustic stage, and i know for a fact that the most-excellent Grace and The Magic Roots are playing on Sunday too...

Excuses, again, are few...

Maybe we can shake some thang together?!

peace-out y'all

fb

fatbwoi live @ broken amp 040711

word up you crazy cats!!

how the devil does it all happen to be going?! all good i hope...

last night saw me take to the stage for the most-excellent broken amp crew at the adam and eve for my first 'this midlands' gig in a (what seems like a long) while...

and enjoy it most thoroughly did i...

but less of the yoda speak, and a bit more about the evening's entertainment... 8)

the evening was opened by stuart o'connor, i met him the other week playing at the rothwell charter festival and he asked me if i might be able to sort him out a gig on his way back from scotland... thus

he has a proper sweet psychedellic acoustic sound, with judicious application of effects and looping technology... which is always a good thing (scienceFAKT right about there).

as ever, stuart delivered an outstanding set... dude got some quality tunes and sounds, and i'd definitely advise you to check him out... i hope to catch up with him again soon...

the important stuff - sweet sneaks, and lemonade-infused beverages... 

i, for an absolute shocker opened with the one about chicken...

the bwoi was headlining the evenin', which was runnin' a lil' behind schedule, so the ineffably lovely rich asked me to hit it flying... lest the powers that be (the bar staff) tried pulling the plug on us (its the bar lady who likes to get home as early as...)

so we'd wailed through 1-800 and love once before i paused to 'have a word'... (as you do)

government done took my babies...

there was a fully-clothed version of the naked in a cape one... and by this point, it seemed things were getting a lil' rowdy...

drop an 'up-swung' kinks cover in we properly got it going on...

a lil' bit of apocalypse education, which from what i hear may have been misplaced... rich advised me that i should head over to leicester again as, despite my constant musical visits, the council over there still does not have a decent contingency plan in the event of zombie apocalypse...

that's just a lil' half assed if you ask me... but hey, any excuse to shake the thang (init)

it was a top night all-in, gotta love the broken amp crew... they always make me feel welcome, join-in, we always have a party... can't wait until the next one 8)

oh and the 2d lady was pimped out with a foxy leopard print number...

pimp my (2D) lady...

that right there, is style ladies and gentlemen...

placed opposite a full-size disco ball, you got something properly intangible...

peace-out y'all

NEXT GIG - G (of mighty Boomshadow fame)'s Birthday Thang... the one at a secret venue, where-in there shall be a 'breaking of stuff' - happy time 8)

fatshadow

init jus'... for real

had me one of those multi-instrumentalist moments last night... right on.

got me invited to play at Jess's 30th bash last night (Happy Birthday Jess) by the e'er ineffable G (of mighty boomshadow/boombwoi fame)... and after our duo outing, for my birthday, on monday night we decided to drop another one of those 'once in a life'-ers again...

Omar played (really enjoyed that as i haven't seen my man play for some time... the big O is just too cool for so many things) ...and you gotta love that open shirt look 8)

[so cool is he that we even managed to drop an impromptu locomotion... which both a: made someone very happy b: taught us that we must never do this again, it is sealed with a kiss or nothing!! uhm...?!]

the big O - oozing cool

G played, and quite possibly scared of the dude from the scouts by opening with beastiality (billy bragg and phil jupitus)... and even whipped out his solo YMCA

i played, held off the nandos til the end of the set (damn weird feelin' that)... then G joined me for some nandos with a bullet on a sunny afternoon - although tbh drunk G had made an appearance by now, and there was some seriously enjoyable arms-outstrectched theatrics...

and then i did strap on a bass to join G and PC, and our powers combined...

FATSHADOW

hell yes.

take 50% mighty boomshadow add a smidgen of fatbwoi on the bass, don't rehearse and just drop it like its hot (drop it like its hot)... and that is how we roll!!

ja, for sure....

can't actually remember the last time i played bass with a band, and i had a most enjoyable time 8) (even when G went off on a mad solo during a song i didn't know/hadn't played and had to try and guess the key off - this is how we roll mo-fo!!).

but yeaman, i like, is nice... is nice, i like

really diggin' some of the incidental stuff PC and i were up to... bit of jazz, don't mind if i do, more a case of this is our thang, thus we must work it, doin' a bit of the ole' link-up shizzle - of course my horse 8)

properly enjoyed it though, nice addin' a bit of jazznofunknoswingnotechno bass to the mBs material... but then you gotta love the bass in general...

more bass...

the boombwoi fatshadow soundclash @ broken amp 280311

hear ye! hear ye! words and forsooth... uhm, something and fie for the other stuff...

or alternatively... damn right! bring it on... (he's actually writing one about music) *shock horror*

hell yes... last night was the night of the epic boombwoi fatshadow soundclash! this one, and g (of mighty boomshadow fame) onstage together at the broken amp...

and i think its safe to say - it was a lot of fun!! although i don't think i'll ever forget the look on paul's face when he offered to buy us drinks and we both requested soft ones (lemonade for me, diet coke for g)... priceless

there was a bit of bwoi, a bit of boom, and sure some of it was a bit 'rough around the edges' (a common theme of boombwoi gigs?!)... but we made up for it with gormless charm...

...especially enjoyed the upbeat swung 'sunny afternoon'!! i do believe this is something the g and i must do again... (we should probably/probably not do the whole thing again depending on your stand point...)

dropped an unexpected (fairly off-beat) version of 'take on me' at the end, and i have to be honest... i never thought i was gonna hit that note, let alone be able to hold it for that long...

rediscovered the joy of beatboxin' to beat-matched lights... (i think rich liked that too - although it did feel a bit epilepsy when rich left them on and we started up the guitars...)

g wouldn't beatbox (gonna have to work on this, he did however "rip it")

happy time