TOUR DATES! and a random recipe...

Wednesday 9th March:

SO, I said that I would definitely follow up last week's blog with another and goshdarnshootboshbangwallop I WAS RIGHT! Here we are. The excitement on the blogsophere is Fudging Tangible. YES. I dropped the "F" bomb. That's how serious this is, people.

As previously discussed, The Barlights are hitting the road in the calendar month that people regularly know as "April". We are heading with our label mates and all round lovely people "Hello Bear", who are well worth checking out. This is their Facebook page for your perusal.

If you wanted to know what dates were being played on this tour then you should simply move your eyeball focus a few inches below this random and needless collection of punctuation :;'.,;<>@#~]}{"!

BARLIGHTS TOUR DATES

8th April - Hamptons - Southampton

9th April - Mother's Ruin - Bristol

12th April - Actress & Bishop - Birmingham

13th April - Mello Mello - Liverpool

14th April - Milo - Leeds

15th April - Powers Bar, Kilburn, London

16th April - Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich




Also, as you may have noticed, in that list above it says Norwich Arts Centre on the 16th April, which we have tickets for. They are £5. Why don't you come? You should come. Definitely.

We have new songs and everything. Here's a poster. Ch-ch-ch-ch-check it out:





Pic a: The furry honey pot adventure

Yeah, so it's a bit blurry. But I'm not Bill Gates. I look nothing like him.

We're really looking forward to the whole thing. It's going to be good getting back out there and playing gigs to people all over the country. Also it gives us plenty of time to bully our drummer which, as regular readers of the blog will know, is one of our favourite things to do.

Competition time - best practical joke to play on our drummer on tour wins a free t-shirt!

So if you can, get yourself to one of the shows. See you down the road!

RECIPE CORNER:

I get literally thousands of emails a day (the clue to the lie is that there is no email address provided on this page) asking for the recipe to my famous "Pasta Sheeeeet", named in homage to Clay Davis.

A favourite of our drummer, Sam, and my housemate, Stu, here is how you make Pasta Sheet (serves 2):

You will need: Some stuffed pasta (my favourite is prociuttio ham and cheese) and some "sheeeeet".

1: Put the pasta on to boil

2: To make the "sheeeeeet" you will need grated cheddar cheese, 1 yellow pepper, 1 red pepper (cut up into squares), a jar of olive pesto and a can of tomatoes (optional). Plus basil and chopped garlic (or lazy garlic)

3: Drain the pasta and return to a very low heat and whap in the other ingredients and stir vigorously until the grated cheese and melted and won't leave the damn spoon.

4: Season with black pepper.

5: Eat.

When you're done it will look nothing like this, as I've just stolen this from google images:

Other Notable things:

We're playing the Relentless Garage in Islington on Thursday 17th March, Graham's playing the bar of the Norwich Arts Centre on 1st April and we're playing Playfest, a new festival in the Norfolk countryside in the last weekend in May.

Watch this space

Love, tBl's.x

In The Hurt Locker, upcoming Tour, and a random mishmatch of nonsense

Thursday 3rd March:


In the Hurt Locker - This is our drummer Wicksy's new phrase for being chronically hungover which he coined one morning when he COULD NOT MOVE FROM MY SOFA. There's a photo on facebook somewhere so look it up.

ANYWAY. I know, I know, it's been ages since our last blog. I've been busy, alright, bigdealwhatdoyouwannadohaveafightaboutit?

So plenty of news. A member of the Barlights went down to Abbey Road for the musicians' masterclass. Labryinth was there. Brrrrap. Also gave a couple of albums to Tom Robinson and Steve Lamacq.

They make splendid coasters.

We've been practising hard for a little tour we're doing in April to mark the release of a download single from our second album - the single is going to be Colour in Your Eyes. HEY - check out this cover we did. The photo was taken by our uber-talented friend Bish:

Pic A: Super, agreed?

The actual dates we'll announce on the bookface shortly. Hopefully we'll be able to hit a town or city near you.

Time for a new calendar:

The Barlights, having become bored with the regular way of counting years have decided to redo it. Frankly, the numbers are getting too high and it's getting harder to add and subtract years when you're working out how long it's been or will be since or until something.

Still with me?

SO. It's based around our bassist. For those who know him as Chase, it's probably best to advise that for the last or so months he's become known as....Bice. Due to idiotic reasons that started with a pronunciation by a northern girl, moved through a computer game played by one of our more amusing friends, and finally amended one last time due to another computer game and then shortened. Deep breath. SO WHAT YOU KNOW AS 1982 is YEAR ZERO. We are currently in the year 29 AC. Jesus, if you believe that sort of thing, was born in 1982 BB. Par example:

KEY: AC - After Chase / BB - Before Bice

I'm making it my mission to do more blogs so expect another soon which will include the recipe for the the world-famous "Pasta Sheeeeeeet". I say world famous, I mean Wicksy and Stu famous. (Stu is my housemate. he's in Thailand....hello Stu, if you take time out to read this).

In the meantime, before the tour, we're at the Relentless Garage (London N5, near the Highbury & Islington Tube Stop) on 17th March so come alongalongalong.

So, signing off for now.

Love, tBl's.

Plum Jam, and other stories

Saturday 13th November:

Sitting in bed with a cat on one's lap. Possibly the most relaxing way to write a blog. "SO... WTF", I hear you cry... "OMG!" I hear you shout. "Where the bloody hell have you been?" I hear asked by the millions of you who hang on the every word of the Barlights. "LMFAO!" I hear you...and so on. These internet acronym jokes doing anything for you?

Anyway, we've been making Jam. Well we made Jam once, about a week and a half ago. Plum jam to be precise with the help of our friends Ann Sidebottom and Jonathan Richards, we created J Sidelight's "Plum-p up the Jam". I seriously hope that you see what we did there, as I'm sure as hell not explaining it.

It's a really easy process. Plums in pan with water, simmer, add tons of sugar, turn up heat, and - kerboom! - you have yourself some jam there mister. Check out this totally gratuitous picture of some plums:



pic a: there's two of them...tee hee.

So... Plum jam: the new rock and roll. It really is. Is it so long to enjoy making stuff like that? I made bread recently and I don't know how it makes me so happy. Possibly because it's like creating music - Yes, I know, nice link - in that you're taking things that no sane person would eat on it's own (in bread's case, flour) and making it into something edible in much the same way that, in music, you're turning something which contains four minutes of bloody drumming into something which people want to listen to. I mean WHO in their right mind would listen to a four minute drum solo. Masochists? might be a bit much even for them.

A DOUBLE BASS DREAM

The Barlights bassist, Chase, was a very happy man this week. He got himself a double bass (3 quarter size, but still massive) from a friend of ours. I won't do anything as vulgar as divulge the price but it really was a good deal and it looks and sounds immense. This, stolen from the friend who used to own it's facebook page, is actually IT:

Pic b: A double bass, loaded up with vitamin sexy.

Expect to see that at a Barlight's gig very soon.







Talking of Barlight's gigs: We opened in October for our friends the Vegas Fame Index and they were immense. Ade and I got on for their last song - a cover of Primal Scream's jailbird and apparently it went very well. I had been drinking all day so my testimony is shaky at best.

But it went well. We also played a Halloween show dressed as the baseball furies from the film The Warriors. This is Ade, Sam and I afterwards looking double hard, quite frankly:
Pic c: bringing sexy back? it never went away for us.

On that note I need to make arrangements to get some food into my mouth. I'll try and update this a bit more regularly as I've been slack recently. For now, dates to watch out for:
2nd December - I'm playing at the Rose Tavern again
17th December - Barlights are at the Norwich Arts Centre for the NRone Christmas do with the Kabeedies. Get hold of us for tickets.

If you're not Norwich based - next year we will hopefully be in your grill at a venue near your house.

'til then,
Love tBl's x

LIVERMANPOOLCHESTERLEEDS

12th September - 12:55pm

LiverpoolManchesterLeeds

After our 3rd Burger King in 6 days, we're full of vitamins and vim and vigour. Or not. But vim, and possibly vigour are present. As well as all other words beginning with V. Vivacity being one more example.

We played Manchester last night and it was a good'un. Lots of people there, and people saying "whoop" in between songs. We then hit the Northern quarter with Dave "brother of Graham" Horne and Bobby "Son of ex-Norwich player David" Cross as our Manchester-based tour guides.

This is us showing people what we do in the Witchwood, Ashton, Greater Manchester:

Sexy, non?

So today we travel to Leeds to play the last date of the current tour and we've had a right old time of it. Somehow Graham's voice is still standing, Ade hasn't died of exhaustion, Chase hasn't drastically injured himself, and Sam hasn't been arrested despite scaring the locals. We could get used to this. It's all in aid of the new Barlights album, "You Cannot Choose the Roads that Take You Home", which is out on the 1st November, but we do have some copies if you manage to get hold of us. Go on, get hold of us. Here's a gratuitously unnecessary picture of us next to the river Mersey:

Das sexy, nein?

Anyway, if that's not enough to make you want to get the Barlights in your life, I'm not sure what is.

...

...

Maybe, money...

....

Or Blackmail.

Unrelated issues:

In the last week this blog has been exclusively about the Barlights and that isn't its complete purpose. We also have other things to write about..like friends: Happy birthday to Palmer and Keiran. And Nick for tomorrow. get that in there. yeah.

ALSO! we have friends in a new band in Norwich called Brothers, who we are very excited to hear as it's, like, not just a super-group, but a super-duper-group of Norwich bands. They've got stuff on Myspace which I'll be listening to first thing tomorrow morning (afternoon) when I'm back in Norwich with a laptop. You can find them here

So check it, please.

Right. We now have to do more driving, and the staff at this service station are starting to give us funny looks as we finished our BK a long old time ago and Ade's solitary cup of tea in the meantime has also disappeared.

So, we'll hopefully see you in the Hog in Armour next Saturday (18th) where we'll be doing that thing we do.

Love tBl's.x

7th - 10th September, 2010:

"It's Wersonal"

These were the words said by a large scary dog in a park in Bristol to Sam (our drummer) when he came back to finish him off. Never has one man been more scared of a dog. Bits of this story may been fabricated.

We're on tour, and things have been going well. We played London on Tuesday, Bristol on Wednesday and now we're in Liverpool for our gig tonight at Mello Mello. We've just come out of the Beatles museum where we saw the words Reeperbahn Festival.

THESE WORDS are significant for the following reason:

We are playing this very festival (where the Beatles once played) in Hamburg on 24th September. We are very excited about this. I've said the word "Reeperbahn" more in the last week than I previously had in my entire life. Admittedly, this wasn't too difficult.

ANYWAY! Back to the tour. We've seen some things which have blown

our tiny little minds. Eg, the day after our gig in the Mother's Ruin in Bristol, we went to the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Ade demonstrated his previously unearthed love for Isambard Kingdom Brunel by quoting a few stats. All whilst wearing a tiger hat. Please see the next couple of pics for a right good time, yeah?

Here are four un-showered men, Bristol, Wednesday.

Ade doesn't have his tiger hat on here, and we think this is an important measure of a man (interpret that how you will...) so...., brace yourselves......, here it comes:

Man in hat. For all to see. Another

thing we got out of Bristol was the word Gurtlasssshh. Which is Bristolian for good. Apparently. Graham loves it, Sam hates it

Birmingham last night as we said. Actress and Bishop - good venue. Liverpool now, lovely.

Tomorrow we are in Manchester, and then Leeds on Sunday for the final night, until we go to Hamburg in two weeks time. In the meantime we are at the Hog and Armour, Norwich, for the sound and vision festival on the 18th September so home-city folk should come on down down downnnn.

New Nickname: Sam is now known as Wicksy. This is amusing for no other reason than we say so. Also - Ade can't close curtains and Wicksy lives in a drawer. Chase had his first Nando's and Graham and Sam shouldn't be allowed to go out alone after a gig. These are the things we have learned.

We'll leave you with the following artistic band logo, using arms (if you can guess who's arms they are, then you win an official Barlights cheese-grater*)

*Please note that there is no such thing as a Barlights cheese grater, but we may buy you a pint next time we see you.

Love, tBls.x

Missing....presumed....busy.

Wednesday 21st July 2010
Hi there.

Sorry. We haven't blogged in a very very long time but we've been busy, yeah? As you may or may not know we have just finished / are just finishing our Sophomore (great word...great, great word) album entitled "You Cannot Choose the Roads That Take You Home". I won't put the picture of the cover on here again but FOR THE LOVE OF GOD check this out:

Sexy, no? That would be in the village of Filby. Lovely, we recommend it. The photos was taken by uber-cool all-round musical legend Maxie Gedge. Ade and I then flung them onto the coffee table, and would you look what happened.... we look all cool and stuff. Kind of. For us.

So the album is in the can, and we have been listening to mixes, and boy are we excited. We really hope after all this (and we have worked our socks off this time round) that people like it as much as we do.

OTHER THINGS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING! that got your attention, huh.
We were featured in Artrocker magazine, which is, like, all national and shit. So that means somewhere in Glasgow someone could be hearing the word of Barlight. OK, so only a few words, but we're on the cover disc! Bend and Break to be precise which is pretty cool. If you want check it out, then it's available at WH Smiths, Waterstones and the like. It also involves our friends Fever Fever having SINGLE OF THE WEEK! So check that out, and listen to Monster, their single. It's good.

Also, 3/4 of the Barlights just got back from Latitude. Highlights include The National, Wild Beasts, Belle and Sebastian, Dirty Projecters and Vampire Weekend. And many others. Drinking was carried out. Here's some selected photographs....


Pics i, ii, iii: Some idiots, this previous weekend.

Anyway, that's what is going on. And what has been going on. We're headlining the Norwich Arts Centre on 3rd September to launch the album, and also in September we'll be taking in the delights of London, Ipswich, Chelmsford, Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool and Leeds... amongst others.

So get involved. Check the myspace.... www.myspace.com/thebarlights.

Love as ever...tBl's. x

Gigs gone, and gigs approaching

Thursday 13th May 12:26am

I am aware that we haven't had anything insightful or witty to say for at least 6 days, and the legions that follow this blog must be missing the regular Barlight updates.

Alternatively, we've never had anything insightful or witty to say, and the last 6ish days have been a blessed relief.

EITHER WAY.... We've been busy.

On Saturday, as previously discussed here, all four Barlights descended upon the lovely Norwich Arts Centre to watch what turned out to be a bloody excellent gig. All four bands were enjoyed to a reasonable extent, and the Brownies headlining were something else entirely.

After the gig is where things got odd. Deep breath.... A man I don't know but whom some of my friends did suggested that we buy a crate or two of beer from the NAC bar and head to an "allnight Rollerdisco" and then promptly led us Pied-Piper like through the streets of the city to a location I am not willing to divulge...

Personally, I haven't rollerskated for 15 odd years, and it's apparently not like riding a bike. Although considering I was half cut, I did alright. Various Brownies and Arts Centre staff looked like they'd all been rollerskating for their country, or at least county. Example: On the right of this paragraph is a friend of ours named Ryan who was like a man who was BORN ON WHEELS. Don't be fooled by the stance, he was pro.

Then it was to a house where over £100 worth of Domino's pizza was ordered. And we drank more. And someone put a dead fish in a kettle. The latter does not seem like a normal thing to do. Thankfully for the collective sanity of the party, most people certainly did not find this normal. The culprit I think has been reprimanded.

But, all in all, an hilarious night.

SO! Coming up next week is the first Barlights gig since January which has involved all four members, as Chase's arm is mended(ish) and Nick broke is rib back in late January....so....we're excited. It's at Unit 5, off Edwards Road, near Magdalen Street and is going to be epic because our friends Fever Fever are playing, and also Olympians, who sounded pretty good when I heard a couple of songs.

There is a link to the Facebook page hereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Hopefully see you there.

tBl's