attention w.a.s.t.e. readers!
thankyou for the last year and a half two years since the bends
came out. the response from everyone has opened us up. at the
moment there seems to be a lot of building going on around us,
we're building our own studio, rebuilding our lives, 'building'
our sight (sic) on the net, building w.a.s.t.e. into our own merchandise
production thing, building, building, building, building. like
misguided gold diggers.
in my case i think it is a particularly male response to the panic
of seeing it all disappear and change (student semiotics), but
i like to worry and over analyse.
change is absolutely a good thing.
i've absolutely no idea what is going on.
this leads to sleepless nights with new songs going round my head,
being convinced we've lost it having briefly been pulled into
the bosom of popularity, to wanting to give it all up, to wanting
to experiment with the sound of fridges. music is the most powerful
thing in my life, and i have no wish to be chicken shit. we are
not an industry, we are not an industry.
hmmm.
maybe we want the next record to be like opening the curtains
after a hangover to a quite nice tuesday morning. yes. these are
my favourite records at the moment!
Donald Byrd Electric Byrd (on Blue Note)...Phil Spector A Christmas
gift for you (on Phil Spector records/EMI)...Stereolab Emporer
Tomato Ketchup (D uhf disks/rtm)...The Ennio Morricone Anthology
(BMG)
hope this finds you well
lots and lots of love ThOmxxx
p.s. thankyou Nina for all the acidic letters to radio one.
hello dear readers. Firstly, many apologies for the delay in writing,
it's been surprisingly busy first half of 1996. We took January
off to recover from the intensive touring at the end of last year.
If you saw us, thanks for coming, and I hope you enjoyed it. If
you didn't well, apart from the festivals we're doing in the summer,
and some Alanis Morrisette dates in the U.S in August, you'll
have to wait until next year.
We spent February at home getting our new rehearsal space together
and working on the new songs, some of which we played on the recent
U.S dates. It was a fun tour, marred only by flu which swept the
bus and sadly caused the cancellation of the Denver show, which
we were very sorry about. There seems to be a jinx between us
and Denver over the last few months...
Now we're home again, we're concentrating on building our own
studio, which is close to home, and obviously very important after
spending nearly nine months away from friends and loved ones last
year. We're going to try producing ourselves, working with the
same engineer who did 'The Bends' in 1994.
For those of you who have internet access, we're well aware of
the paucity of information on the official site. Several unofficial
ones have sprung up, which we're very happy about, and we're planning
to launch a thoroughly updated service this summer, with the help
of Apple and Stanley Donwood, who worked with Thom on the last
record's artwork. The unofficial mailing list has had some very
strange stories about us flying around, and we'll be able to provide
more up to date, accurate information later in the summer. Until
then, take care and have a great summer, love colinxxx.
I have a friend who wishes that they had a job like mine,
in which they were applauded every time they did something right.
I must admit that a healthy dose of over-blown praise from time
to time (preferably on a daily basis) is quite welcome. Consquently,
the feedback we've had from audiences over the past twelve months,
and from people we've met after gigs has really buoyed us up,
especially when we're being feeble and tired. So thankyou. For
this installment, you join me at home listening to recordings
of new songs from our recent stateside tour. This does not reflect
an advanced form of egomania - honest. Rather, it is preparation
for the next few months' worth of rehearsing and recording. We're
producing the third album ourselves, so feelings ranging from
extreme excitement to bowel-shattering terror are stomping round
my head.
My only other worry for the immediate future is possible adulation
starvation, resulting from not touring. As such, I'm currently
working on a prototype for canned applause, which will punctuate
my little domestic triumphs and provide me with my appreciation
fex in the studio. Sad? Me? Never.
Love Philip xxx
Just back from probably the best U.S tour yet - although you get
thge feeling that they're still playing 'catch-up' while the rest
of the world resides comfortably in the 'four-zone'.
Well, what am I? relieved to be back in Oxford for one thing -
my ear bled and rang for the last week of the tour, but I still
made it home with my usual Tesco bag full of mystery records.
A tip for you music-hungry waifs...DON'T buy the soundtrack to
the 1969 swedish film "Fanny Hill" featuring the band
"Oven" with Frank Stevens on guitar (formally with popular
combo "Good Grief"). It may only cost $2 but will sound
very very awful. Indeed. History has forgotten these bands for
good reasons, most of them musical.
To stop the same thing happening to us, we've been throwing chords
together for your future incredulous comtempt/pleasure. till then,
any suggestions for NEW chords ( there's only 'A' to 'G', remember)
are welcome. Hope you see us play soon, we're thinking of you.
love jonny
Dear W.A.S.T.E.R.
The temptation is huge, what with United up for the double again,
to write all things football, but I shall resist the urge. And
anyway aren't you sick of all these publications, politicians
and so-called personalities airing their views on the game in
all the media outlets? I know I am - this 'nineties man' stuff
is just a load of boring old crap. Magazines like 'Loaded' should
be consigned to the recycling depot. I mean a passion for football
has always and will continue to exist, but why the need to market
it alongside photos of semi-nude women? Sounds too close to the
eighties for my liking.
So what news to tell you? Well it looks as though we're finished
touring 'The Bends', and that time to grow our beards and hair
long has finally arrived. Time for a new record. A lot of people
ask us how soon the new album will be out and our response is
always however long it takes. We have to be as satisifed with
it as possible, there is no way we are consciously going to release
shit.
Despite illness, the U.S tour just finished was fantastic, the
other notable event of the year for us, the Brits, was not. I
only have one thing to add to the Jarvis Vs Jacko controversy
(which I missed because I had drunk too much red wine): People
in the music industry have described Jacko's messianic dance routines
as distasteful and disrespectful. But since when has the music
business or rock 'n roll been the guardians and purveyors of taste
and decency? We should expect little else of Jacko; the bloke
is mad, he thinks he's Christ, and hasn't got a clue nowadays.
Anyway I'm convinced it was all pre-organised for one big publicity
stunt, as I'm sure I bumped into the two of them toasting one
another with the finest champagne in the toilets. A hideous evening.
Thankyou, thankyou again to everyone who has come to see us over
the last year, the audience responces have at times been overwhelming.
Bye, Ed.
P.S. essential recent listening: Latin Playboys...The
Daisies:If I was Barry White (single)..The Pixies:
Doolittle...Marvin Gaye: What's Going On...Nusrat Fatch
Ali Khan & Michael Brook: Nightsong...Finn Brothers:
Finn
P.P.S.TOOTRG: predictably to Eric Cantona for his genius
on the ball
| MAY | 26th: Paris Bataclan ... 27th: Pinkpop Festival, Holland |
| JULY | 6th: Tourhout Festival, Belguim ... 7th: Werchter Festival, Belguim ... 11th: Manchester Apollo ... 13th: Glasgow, T In The Park ... 27th: Galway Arts Festival |
| AUGUST | 12th - 29th USA east coast tour with Alanis Morrisette |
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