Can I have you attention please

Good news coming in threes

Some of you may have noticed that Running Club have been rather quiet this year. Thank you for noticing. There were two reasons for this, firstly we lost another drummer (three apparently is a pattern), and secondly we couldn’t find a drum machine capable of interpreting Tim’s air drumming. Shame.

Fortunately however, throughout the resulting summer of parties and onesies, Tom continued to toil away on the project some began to believe might never see the light of day, or even worse turned out to be a hoax. I am of course talking about the much anticipated debut long player from ‘Britain’s most entertaining Running Club’.

Surely not, I hear you gasp in the front row. The album we began work on way back in 2011, when Osama was still on the run, and Manchester City were just noisy neighbours? Yes, that very same album.

How, I hear the desperate cries from the back, can we possibly get our hands on this? Well, it’s quite simple, make your way to our website on January 1st, and you will be offered links to several reputable online dealers to stream, download or playlist to your heart’s content.

But! I hear the drunken revellers at the bar chip in, you said good news comes in three, what could possibly top that? Well how about this. To celebrate the release of this seminal classic in the making, we shall play a launch gig somewhere in London on February 1st.

What!? The front row gasp yet again, a Running Club gig? It’s true, it’s all true, so now you must do two very important things. Firstly, put February 1st in your diary, replacing any ‘drinks with old work friends’ you may have there already, and secondly tell everyone you know that you have the perfect finale to your ‘no drinking January’. Assuming you made it that far.

So that’s the first two pieces of news, and what of the third? Well if you come to the gig on February 1st you’ll find out. Until then.

Sea legs.

Do you remember the first time? I do, it was last night and it happened on a boat.

Why wait so long you ask? Well we wanted it to be special and boy was it.

The 1st ClubRunningClub was on board a vessel which appeared dry-docked, but as the Thames closed in became surprisingly mobile. So much so that  punning sensation Steve from Rhyl’s missus* had to abandon ship, which I must say crossed my mind at one point, but we hadn’t actually played yet.

Things kicked off well with Acoustic Jim, who apologised for having no bass player as he was apparently ‘sh**ging his way round Uganda, or Uruguay’ – they couldn’t be sure which. We then had soothing Germanic harmonies from Wide Sea – very on message for this nautical night, and the raucous Motorcycle Display Team – who climaxed with an inspired version of Bowie’s Let’s Dance. And why not?

But this was not just a night of firsts. It was also the emotional return of Mr Leon Cave- who hadn’t joined the navy like he’d told us, just moved to Highgate. Drummers eh?

All in all this was very encouraging.

So much so in fact that we’re now actually organising our official album launch party. We’ll let you know as soon as we have the details, but if we book it, it has to be finished!

The question remains however, if the second album is meant to be the ‘difficult’ one, does that mean this one was easy?

Viva la Club

*Sorry for naming you as so Laura, but I wanted to get a link to the pun blog in there.

Vauxhall and We.

Yes it’s true, it’s all true. This very evening Running Club are launching our very first ClubRunningClub, and it’s going to be a proper humdinger.

There’s going to be 4 bands for £3, and although I’m no mathematician in these times of austerity, economic turbulence and financial armageddon that is one hell of an equation you’re looking at right there.

There will be drinks offers, there will be an eclectic jukebox, and there is a very real chance the ship’s captain will have a navy flashback and set sail for Argentina to ‘do his bit’.

Oh and one more thing, you might be a little shocked to see the man holding the drum sticks tonight. I will say no more. Other than it’s not Xande.

So dig out your sowester, squeeze into your bell-bottoms and prepare for what promises to be the best live music event on a boat on the Thames, this evening.

ClubRunningClub

Go cruising in Vauxhall

EVENT DETAILS HERE.

Time gentlemen, please

Last time we spoke, I said we’d be knuckling down in the studio to ensure there was no repeat of the under-par Running Club some of you witnessed recently at the Dublin Castle.

This we did.

What we coudn’t plan for however, was the bombshell waiting for us before the last song of our set at the Borderline this Saturday.

The evening hadn’t started well, when a missed left-turn took us into the heart of darkness that is Oxford Street three weeks before Christmas, and getting worse when we hit a parked car because we were talking over the parking sensor. Don’t worry, no one saw it.

Warming-up back-stage, which essentially means fighting over the free beer while Xande regales us with stories of corrupt Rio police, and how not to impress women while in a moving car, the stand-in horn player we’d only just met assured us he knew the songs. Apparently listening in school and ‘practicing’ means you can say such things with confidence.

As we nervously took to the stage, our trepidation turned quickly to triumph as the big-sound arrived in spades – which reminds me, when you get your copy of the album, play it as loud as possible. I insist.

So what of our bombshell? Well, before we could play a single note of our last song, a rousing finale of Hurricanes, we were told in no uncertain terms that we could not in fact play it as our time was up. And that was that. The fat lady had apparently sung. Off you go now chaps.

If this had happened at the Dublin Castle, we’d probabaly have been relieved. But we were back to our very best, and bloody hell, I really wanted to play Hurricanes.

Always leave them wanting more, they say. Well in 2012 my friends, you shall have more, lots more.

Until then.

Adam

Faux-nads, plastic bones and actual genuine genius?

So this evening saw our boys Tom and Andy show class with the brass, laying their final parts down for what is being widely touted as our debut album. True story.

Following what can only be described as, a performance, at Camden’s Dublin Castle two weeks ago, we’re dedicating the next practice to music alone and not discussions such as the thinking behind faux-nads, or the real reason Adele lost her voice. Rest assured, we will be bringing the big show to The Borderline next Saturday. You really should be there.

Also, you might have noticed that Tom has bought himself a new trombone. A plastic one. Apparently they’re not only real, but easy to carry around and far less likely to stick to your lips in winter. Insert joke here.

What isn’t a joke however, are these guys. I’ve never been tempted to join another band, but if I did, it would probably be this one. Yes I am prepared to journey to the deepest aspects of music, and I reckon a plastic trombone would be right up their alley.

Adam

To hell in a handcart

Is this wrong?

Have you ever seen Ghostbusters? The scene where they’re warning the Mayor of New York that they’re teetering on the edge of total chaos? The forces of everything they’ve so far contained have been released, leading to a society turned upside down, with dogs and cats living together.

Well that pretty much sums up this weekend.

First of all, I found myself cheering the French in the rugby. The French! Yes they were the underdogs, but what the merde? Secondly, Sunday saw the biggest footballing humiliation in over 50 years for one half of a certain northern city. Well the less said about that debacle, the better. And to top it all off, not only are the Stone Roses back together but Tom Waits has finally released a new album!

It doesn’t take an expert to see we are on the precipice of something momentous right now, and it could take just one last thing to push us over the edge.

The release of our debut album perhaps?

Many said it wouldn’t happen, some had possibly forgotten we were even making one, but as of this weekend we’ve got the foundations for the last track. So yes that may well be the four horsemen you hear saddling-up, right this minute.

It has been a crazy, crazy year so far, so my advice to any of you with something you’ve been planning to get done for a while – get doing it. And if that starts with coming to Camden’s Dublin Castle on Friday Nov 4th, for our next gig then all the better.

(Apologies if there’s an ad)

Three holidays, one fight and a proposal

It’s the holiday season for Running Club right now, but that doesn’t mean nothing’s been going on. Quite the opposite in fact.

Kicking off with a cracking performance at The Big T last month, we’ve been working on a new song, nearly recorded the last song for the album (thwarted by an administrative error) and sorted London gigs for Oct and Nov.

In between, both Tim and I have visited Berlin (not together, we’re like ELP, separate tour buses, separate holidays) our Brazilian drummer Xande experienced Scottish weather for the first time, and Andy went all the way to NYC and proposed to his lovely missus.

As a result, Tim has formed a new group that as far as I’m aware is some kind of ABBA tribute band. He’s half serious, I think. Tom has definitely booked us in to the studio for my return from Croatia (yay!) and Xande has decided to go to Venice for his next holiday. Wise choice.

So now to the fight. Well, my recollections of The Big T are a little hazy, but as far as I’m aware, Slurpy, the drummer from Middleman (England’s premier party band – beltin’ set by the way), had the audacity to bump into me! Yes I know, who on earth does he think he is? Bono?

Fortunately for him, there was at least nine people, maybe more, who were just about able to hold me back, saving him from what could have been a very painful encounter. I mean, yes I was found in a bush at one point, and have no memories from around 12 onwards, but that doesn’t mean I’d had too much rum and was being belligerent. Not in any way.

So Slurps, just watch out mate, no one bumps into me and gets away with it. Apart from that time of course.

Adam

Yes that is a dog suit Tom's wearing

This fantastic photo was taken by Ben Sutherland.

Inspired by the recent events in London I stole it without a moment’s thought.

Sorry Ben.

Pride and Envy – but mainly Pride

So it’s been a flippin busy weekend for Running Club, let me tell you. Not only have we been in the studio recording vocals (captured on video!) but our very own Andy Watts rinsed the Other Stage at Glasto yesterday with his London Afrobeat Collective.

Stolen by Bombay Bicycle Club to drop some heavy brass for them, they were on BBC yesterday with more close-ups of Andy’s bandanna’d head than anyone could possibly have dreamed.

So far, there’s only the first track they did with them on YouTube – they played on the whole of the next one – but it certainly gives you a flavour of what it was like on such a gorgeous day.

We’re very proud indeed, and as you can imagine incredibly jealous. It looked absolutely brilliant, and I’m sure he also mentioned something about getting taken to music school by BB King earlier on, so we anticipate his match report at tonight’s practice, greatly. Assuming he comes of course, and isn’t still in Glastonbury being carried on some sedan chair eating grapes.

While he was away though, we’ve not been idle. Getting oh so tantalisingly close to having the album recorded, we spent Saturday in the studio doing the vocals for Suns, which Tom reckons is the best recording he’s ever done as our engineer/producer/trombone player/chief Arnie impersonator.

As proof, I took a video of Tim doing his thing, which after a mere four hours of me swearing at my computer, have managed to edit into a one minute clip, which hopefully is now available for your delectation.

Watch out at the end for diva-esque behaviour from Tim as he asks for ‘more guitars in his headphones’. I mean, what’s next? Drape the walls in white muslin cloth and have the studio cleared because it’s blocking your artistic flow? It starts with more guitars in the headphones.

ps. We’ll be practicing the ‘new one’ tonight to make sure it’s hot and fresh for our next gig at the Wilmington Arms a week on Saturday. You can see Andy in person, in the flesh, and I’m sure if you ask very nicely he’ll autograph anything you have. Unless it’s yellow, he gets really funny about the colour yellow. And green, and blue, and red for that matter. Actually, it’s probably best if you don’t ask at all.

Adam

Old Street, New Sound.

Look how excited we are at the new sound! Yes, with Tom’s new interface (whatever that is) we are now able to LITERALLY record anywhere. So in an undisclosed location near Old Street in Old London Town, where the streets are paved with gold and chewing gum, we started on the brass and boy does it sound good.

With just a laptop and a microphone we’re able to get the kind of sweet sound that has eluded us so far – which added to the tight-as-a-gnats-chuff drums and bass and Tim’s epic guitars, means we have a horn section that could bring tears to a miner’s eyes.

This bodes well for the album which is getting closer by the day, and when it’s ready, well let us just say it will be a relief for anyone who knows us because we’ve been working toward this for, well the day I got my first guitar in primary school, when Tim learned how to sing Peter Frampton’s Ooh baby I Love Your Way and the day Tom and Andy said, you know what this big sound needs? Some big bad brass.

Let the good times roll.

Borderline Greatness

So drummer Leon’s final gig with us last night was of such finger poppin’ badness, it gave me blisters. Both joyous and sorrowful, it reminded us what we’ve worked toward for a long time, and it’s such a shame he’s going, but ces’t la vie.

We did however smash our PB at sound check. We’re down to approximately 12 minutes now, which, I reckon if we really tried could be honed to ten. It’s good to have a goal, because goals = success!

With a great crowd, a good atmosphere from the rest of the bands and a better sound than most venues, the Borderline is the kind of place I wish we could play every week, and we shall. Just need a new drummer first.

On another note, the album’s going well. Guitars took a bit longer than expected, basically because Tim recorded hundreds of solos using banks of guitars and pedals, then remembered we don’t do solos and binned the lot. So he says anyway.

So what’s next? Well, it’s brass-brothers Tom and Andy’s turn, and it’s practically impossible to know how long that could take. Tom’s diva strops and Andy’s endless quest for perfection know no end, so I’ll keep you updated about their progress, and our search for a new drummer.

In summation, lots to be getting on with, very hopeful for the coming year and desperate to hear the finished album. If we can get back to how we played last night asap then bloody fantastic.

Oh, and one more thing, to the utter w***er on the bus last night, you are, by all appearances a grown adult, so why, oh why, oh why are you shining a laser pointer at girls on the bus? Not only should you have that stupid thing taken away from you, but they should give that lobotomy one more go. Second time lucky!

Also, from henceforth Tim shall be known as ‘Goose’. He knows why.

Tom polishes his bell-end