One Last Plug

You are almost certainly sick to death of me talking about the birthday gig, but after this you can rest easy, as the gig is tonight.

So yes. The Flying Duck. Tonight. Doors for the gig are at 8, but the pub is open before that, and I'll be running about like a headless chicken.

£3 to get in. That's cheaper than most gigs.

Running order should be roughly something like this:

The Big Nowhere: 8:30-9:05
Verse Metrics: 9:20- 9:55
Black International: 10:10-10:45

After that you can do what you wish. Like go to Bloc for the final Barmellodie gig?

Birthday Guests: The Big Nowhere

If you have somehow managed to not hear about it yet, the Aye Tunes Birthday Bash takes place on Friday at The Flying Duck. All the details can be found here.

I've already done little introductions to two of the bands playing, you can read up on some facts about Black International here, and learn more about Verse Metrics - and get a sneak preview of their new single - here. That means it is time to round things off by telling you a bit about the third band playing the gig, The Big Nowhere.

The Big Nowhere have given me permission to make up some facts about them. I'll try to resist. I still enjoy bullet points, so here goes:

• The Big Nowhere are at various times Simon, Billy, Joe, Arvid, DP, Helen, John, Sandie and Malcolm.
• Fitting them on The Flying Duck's stage could be a challenge.
• One of them is a dragon.
• Simon wins the prize for "person I've known longest off the internet" I think. We used to talk to each other on Usenet, and I went to see his old band Brown Eye Superfly at the Barfly in Glasgow.
• Brown Eye Superfly and Barfly don't exist anymore, and no one still uses newsgroups except to download stuff. I now feel old.
• Debut album Pull Down The Moon was almost entirely recorded in Simon's living room. The album was released in 2009, and is available from all good download shops, like iTunes and Amazon.
• You can also have a listen to Pull Down The Moon on Spotify, or here.
• I've been promising to review that album for ages, but still haven't done it. It is good though. Bluesbunny gave it four carrots.
• On a bunny related note, they were promised a spot on a gig I was putting on after this picture. Well, that and me liking their music.
• A second album is set for release later this year. I'll review that one. Eventually.
• Musically there is a bit of rock, folk, country (regular and the alt. type) and Americana going on.
• This is by far the least helpful intro piece I've ever written.

You'd probably be better off not paying attention to me and just having a listen to them instead.

Things We Lost In The Flood by The Big Nowhere

The Big Nowhere: Website - Facebook

Aye Tunes Birthday Bash: Facebook

Birthday Guests: Verse Metrics

Another day, another bout of gig pimping. A week today at The Flying Duck (that's June 17th if you aren't reading this on the day it was posted) I'm having a wee birthday bash. I've already introduced Black International, so today it is the turn of Verse Metrics, with The Big Nowhere to follow over the weekend.

I can't steal facts from Twitter this time round, but I do like bullet points, so here is some thing about Verse Metrics in a list type fashion.

• There are four of them, Bob, Al, Dave and Martin.
• If Martin had one less letter in his name there'd be a nice escalation thing going on there. He doesn't though.
• Verse Metrics received an honourable mention from Nick Mitchell in last year's Scotsman Radar Prize.
• Vic Galloway made them one of his tips for 2011, and they've picked up radio play from the likes of Tom Robinson and Jim Gellatly.
• Although they fit into the stuffed alternative indie shelf, they do it (a) better than many and (b) with their own take on things, so they don't sound like a cookie cutter band.
• Last year's debut EP VM1 was right good, and sounded like a band who had been together for far longer than a year.
• You can snag a free download of Horoscopes from the EP here.
• Bassist Dave does accidental sex faces during gigs. [Source: Peenko]
• Verse Metrics have threatened a stage routine involving cock fencing [also: Peenko] but as people still book them for gigs this probably doesn't happen.

In a wee Aye Tunes exclusive (I think) I've got one half on the band's new double A-side single, Modern Sleep, to share with you. You can have a listen below, and the single is out on July 19th.

Stream: Verse Metrics - Modern Sleep

Verse Metrics also play King Tut's on the same day the single is released alongside FOUND, Cancel The Astronauts and Bermuda. You can buy tickets for the gig here, or from the Verse Metrics shop. Debut EP VM1 is also available from the shop, or digitally from Bandcamp and iTunes.

Verse Metrics: Website - Facebook - Bandcamp - Shop

Aye Tunes Birthday Bash: Facebook - Tickets

Birthday Guests: Black International

Nope, still not shutting up about the Aye Tunes birthday gig next week.

Time to tell you a wee bit about the bands involved, I think. First up, Black International. I could yammer on about how much I enjoyed the times I've caught them live, or how good debut album In Debt is, but since I invited them to play the birthday gig it should be pretty obvious I like the band, so I'll spare you the hard sell, but buy an album here.

I already interviewed the band last November, so you can read that here. Stewart from the band also gave us a track by track rundown on In Debt here. Instead of retreading what is in those two pieces, I'm shamelessly lifting some facts about the band as posted on their Twitter account. Well, they did say they were cut out and keep, which I'm choosing to reinterpret as copy/paste and steal.

Without further ado then, some Black Facts about Stewart, Gavin and Craig:

• Stewart once woke up on a golf course at 6am wearing a cricket jersey that didn't belong to him.
• Craig used to own a replica Lion-O sword (from Thundercats) but it was destroyed in a fire.
• Gavin once went into a Japanese restaurant to ask if they had any free sushi. Tight bastard.
• Stewart own a complete set of Postcard records.
• Bassist Gavin has 4 or 5 tattoos.
• Drummer Craig can't grow a handlebar moustache to save himself.
• As a youngster, Stewart knew a kid who could vomit on command.
• Bassist Gavin is from the isle of Barra, where they don't even have a cinema!
• Drummer Craig once had a letter published in the Nintendo fan club magazine. They misspelt his surname as Beebles.

Black International: Website - Bandcamp - Facebook

Aye Tunes Birthday Bash: Facebook - Tickets

The Aye Tunes Birthday Bash

As I've mentioned already, I'm putting on a wee birthday gig.

Aye Tunes, the blog you are currently looking at, started up three years ago this week on June 1st 2008. Admittedly it took around a year between starting up and me actually doing anything, but we'll gloss over that part.

It is also my birthday on June 18th. I'll be a good bit older than the blog.

On the 17th, two weeks today, the birthday gig takes place at The Flying Duck in Glasgow The Flying Duck is a wee bit hidden, but once you work out where it is it is a doddle to find. It is on Renfield Street, just across from the big Cineworld, there's a map and stuff on the website.

Playing at the gig are The Big Nowhere, Black International and Verse Metrics. On the off chance you don't know the bands don't worry, I'll be introducing them to you between now and the gig here. You can get a head start by reading the interview Black International did a with me last November, or indeed the track by track guide to their debut album In Debt.

If you are into that kind of thing you can let me know you are coming on Facebook.

Everyone is invite to come along and partake in some good music, some beverages, and watching me stress out. There's a catch though, I'm going to make you pay for the pleasure. Entry is £3, which isn't too shabby for three bands.

Sorry, but to try and minimise the chances of my head exploding I need to try and not make it both the most stressful and the most expensive birthday I've had!