7th February - Autumn Store, Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham (<3)
There is one really super night in Birmingham and it's called The Autumn Store. Dunc and Debbie do it at the moment and there is really lovely pop music punctuated by brill pop bands playing live.
We started the weekend early on the Saturday with Jeremy and Emma Champion arriving in Birmingham. We moved Jeremy's drum kit around a bit and then went to band practice and arrived late. We tried to learn 'Heartbreaks In The Snow' but it didn't quite work so we just played some of our other songs for a bit. It was really fun playing at being a band properly again. We haven't in ages.
Then we picked up some amplifiers and went to the Sunflower Lounge. This was the first time we've ever re-visited a venue, we'd managed to play something like eleven shows in Birmingham without playing the same room twice which is pretty brill AND there are still quite a few rooms left that we have yet to grace with our presence. The Victoria would be nice to play and we'll HAVE to do Scruffy Murphys one day just to live the dream AND Hare & Hounds and some more probably. Anyways, we arrived and said hello to Dunc and met Hari & Aino. Hari & Aino had just got into the country in the morning and it was really exciting to have them play in our city. They are fantastic. David Leach was also there and we said hello to him and started folding zines. Jeremy got lost in the Bullring car park and Hari & Aino dismantled his drums because they were all put together backwards like a pleb. We had some yummy pasta provided by our gracious hosts and then we soundchecked. We tried playing 'Heartbreaks In The Snow' but it sounded terrible so we decided last minute to replace it with 'Totally Ice Cream'. Yummy.
Emma Champion and myself (Simon) went on a quick sightseeing trip around Birmingham with half of Hari & Aino looking for tea but we couldn't find any but they did get to see some sights other than New Street station which will be good for their opinion of Birmingham. Although we did see a man getting beaten up by a police officer! AND AND AND! Earlier in the day I saw a youth in the Bullring running away from a police officer after having stolen something it seemed. It was quite scary and I rang up Jeremy straight away after I saw it to tell him. He wasn't that bothered I don't feel.
David Leach started the show and he really was as lovely as always. He has these careful songs with gorgeous choruses that make you sway and smile equal amounts. This was the third time I had seen him and he just gets more convincing as a cuddlecore superstar everytime.
Then we played realy well! We totally didn't muck up at all and got clapped a few times after our songs.
The Hari & Aino were brilliant as we expected they might be. At one point though, near the end of their set, they broke TWO bass strings at the same time! It was so impressive! We leant them our bass and they finished off with style and pop.
It was a really lovely night, made better because lots of our friends came to see us play. Smigs and Cheez came all the way from Hull! Smigs bought along Isaac from 'Mervyn & Isaac Find A CD' fame and a yummy cake.
We went to Oxford the next day.
Setlist
- Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie - Belle & Sebastian cover
- The Introduction
- Panda Funk Unit
- "Arrogance Is My Middle Name", Said Will Davies Arrogantly
- Michael Kightly Is Pretty Rad
- And She Smiled (At Me) Across The Void
- Weave Away To Make Stars
- Emma Champion: You Are The Champion Of Are <3s
- Totally Ice Cream
- Flying Bayonets
- Mervyn & Isaac Find A CD
- Finishing Move