Sunshine Pop

Pole to Pole

I think it's fair to say my life has been bipolar recently. I just seem to be surviving extremes. So apart from the fact that I didn't get my dream job, nor have I been allocated my final placement yet which means I will finish my course late, let me try and focus on the good.

• I submit my last two assignments tomorrow.
• Tomorrow night (8th May) is our album launch in East London, which looks like a sell out thanks in no small part to Simon Armitage, who is inexplicably supporting us with his new band. I don't really understand how that happened. But the gig has been promoted on Radio 2, and will be filmed for the BBC's Culture Show.
• Did I say album launch? Release date 12th May.

• On Friday I go to All Tomorrow's Parties (perhaps it's a good thing I'm not now starting my placement proper on Monday).
• And generally I've had a good month. I went to Malta with my mum (and a ton of work) and my dad came down to visit and explore Rotherhithe/Tower Bridge. I just wish it was the end of the difficult bit.
  

New Adventures in You Tube

We needed to make a band video. We had lavish ideas, an artistic director, expensive equipment and all the time in the world. And then everything fell to pieces, but we still needed to make this bloody video. By the end of April.

John The Singer wouldn't admit defeat, so we trudged the 4-track to last week's rehearsal and shot everything on his digital camera. James The Drummer, luckily, is a VT Editor, so he knocked up what he could with his rations. And actually, we're really chuffed with the results (for a live, budget recording).

Here's our first moving image:

Come and see my band play on Friday!

Hello.

The Gresham Flyers are playing Barden's Boudoir in Stoke Newington/ Dalston, due onstage around 9.30. This week's Time Out says "Reckless garage pop from Middlesborough's toy instrument abusing boy/gal quartet Das Wanderlust; support from Brit-popish synth kids The Gresham Flyers, plus widescreen electro from Arthur and Martha". They called us "kids"!!

You can get in cheaper by printing off the attached flyer. Otherwise our proper official album launch is at The Gramophone on May 8th.

Hopefully see some of you there :)

It's enough to warm yer cockles

Shaz says... listen to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

I have a dilemma.

I dearly love Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons.

I DESPISE musicals. I particularly hate the crap write-a-weak-story-around-some-pop-songs musicals, such as yer Abba/ Blondie atrocities.

What's a girl to do? Should I see this musical or not? One thing is for certain; Jersey Boys won't contain the band's best song.

Download Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - The Night.mp3

Inbetween days

<---- Look at that! That's what they call an ever-decreasing workload AKA the last months of my PGCE. My workload is now more managable, just before the final hurdle of my May/ June teaching practice. The months I don't want to think about. The months that I don't want to think about so much that I've booked to go to ATP vs Pitchfork despite the fact that it clashes with the start of my final practice at the same time. Whoops. ((My university will place me late anyway.))

Anyhow, in appreciation of my re-birth, I've been embracing all things knitterly. Well, embrace is a strong word. I've been facing up to my knitter responsibilities. You see, I had a setback. A few weeks ago I was in a Brixton cafe with my favourite knitters and I learned something about myself. I learned that I have been PURLING INCORRECTLY ALL THESE YEARS. I brought the yarn under rather than over the needle. This is distressing news as I had just a ribbed collar left to do of the classic V-neck jumper I started over Christmas. I wouldn't mind if it wasn't for the fact that it's SO obvious on the jumper that my stockinette stitches are twisted and it sorts itself out where I joined into the round just under the V.

LOOK!

CLOSE UP!

But it's too late to rip back because I've FINISHED THE DAMN JUMPER and I'm too angry. I'm going to block it and hope for the best. Wish me luck. :(

Shaz says... listen to The Zombies

Look at them! An indiegirls wet dream!

For my birthday last week, my actual birthday day, I was blessed with the opportunity to see The Zombies perform their classic album Odessey & Oracle. They never toured the album when it was release 40 years ago as they split up just before. 

I was lucky enough to see The Zombies at the Jazz Cafe last year, but this was a special show. A near original line-up (you know, as close as they can get without the dead one) with some extra help from the current Zombies line-up and a member of Brian Wilson's backing band. Yes, you're probably seeing how they're a Shaz Special already. I was front row. I even managed to get a bit of knitting in before the show! Best birthday ever!

It really was an astounding show, and I want to share a bit of my Zombies love with you too. Time of the Season? Nah. Not now it's been all Magners-fied. Care of Cell 44? A good'un, but a bit obvious. 

Here. You can have Changes.

Download The Zombies - Changes.mp3

Back to life

I passed my first teaching practice!

I finished on Friday, drank one celebratory bottle of Bulmer's disappointing pear cider and passed out with exhaustion. The next day the band trekked up to Leeds/ Antartica to play a fun gig with The Deirdres in a pub filled with hen parties, punks and a boxing machine...

Not our usual crowd but we played well and I was proud of our heckle for 'MORE REGGAE!'. I think I managed to get to bed at a more ROCK'N'ROLL 4am, but I wouldn't swear by it.

Ignore the fact that I have so many assignments to catch up with... Woops. My poor V-neck pullover is suffering as I haven't been able to pick up the needles since Christmas. :(

And she's fast approaching the finish line...

With an unexpected spurt, Shaz is overtaking on the inside lane. She's had fantastic lessons that have given her an energy boost and she's clearly on the home run. BUT WHAT'S THIS? She's slowing down! She's just stumbled over her first hurdle, she's breaking out in stress hives and breaking down into tears. No Shaz, you can do it! The crowd are chanting her name. With one week to go, will she get to the finish line?!

Where's Polly gone?

Class teacher: So a polygon is a 2D shape that has many connected sides. The name polygon comes from Greek; poly means 'many' and gon means 'sides'. So a polygon is a 2D shape with many sides. Who can tell me what a polygon is?

[everyone puts their hand up]

Class teacher: Paul?

Paul: MILK!