A Tour In Photos

This post should have happened weeks ago but various dilapidated obstacles got in the way.

Many political manifestos have included the Three 'E's but you only need to attach two 'E's to the Smoke Fairies' UK tour and in this case it isn't the same word lazily repeated three times for dramatic effect. The two words are 'exceded expectations'; one thing you're unlikely to get from a political party. To sell out most venues on a debut headline tour in the desolate month of January is heartwarming and encouraging stuff.

Enough with the rubbish, tenuously linked E words; here is the tour in photos:

 Kaf and Jess doing their 'witch house' poses for NME

 Manager extraordinaire Matt utilising his travel printer

Lights

 OUCH!

 Frequenting haunted pubs

 How many candles? 

 Two peas in a pod

 an angel amongst Fairies 

 How many pedals does one viola player need? 

 The Smithereens

 Marc and Mark proudly in place at BBC Manchester where we went for a session on Marc Riley's show. Marc was refreshingly fanatical about everything as per usual which reminded me how wonderful it is to have him on our airwaves. I also happened to meet Gruff Rhys who's one of my favourite song writers as he was doing a session in the studio next door.

Part of the NME review of the Brighton show. I know I'm a tall chap and probably even a 'cello would look like a violin under my chin but it's not, it's a viola. Everyone called me Frank after that came out, which I rather liked!

 

 Piccadilly records

 would you like a Lionel with your hat? 

 one of the more pleasant dressing room graffiti appearances.

 at times the anticipation is unbearable.

as blurry as our heads the next morning

 Rob is overwhelmed by the tour malaise but as per usual Jules Sea of Bees has such a blazing supply of enthusiasm that it makes you feel dead inside in comparison.

 sound will be checked 

One of the many pleasingly non-travelodges we stayed in. Thanks Mr Tour Manager. Sorry guests for waking you up at silly o'clock in the morning by setting off the fire alarm. 

 Kris finds a special poster tucked away.

 How many stairs?

 

Blasts from the past

 at Bristol Fleece

Sea of Bees at Bush Hall. Not strictly part of our tour but they kept touring long after we'd returned to normality and overcome the longing to be back on tour.... 

...and in May we'll be doing it all again but in a slightly different order. Superb. Keep an eye on the Songkick page for details.

Hornets Tour Gruff Riley

I feel it's about time I document various happenings of note before my goldfish like memory does one more lap of the fish bowl before exlaiming "ooh, I haven't been here before".

The photo above was taken after Smoke Fairies' 6 Music session on Marc Riley's splendid radio show a week or so ago. You can't 'listen again' because I was far too slow putting this blog up but, well, it was good and worth the journey up to Manchester on a Thursday night. I've been an avid listener of his show for years now so it was marvellous to finally do a session. In person he's exactly like his radio persona and his unrelenting enthusiasm for new music is wonderfully refreshing: he sits in his radio booth bopping away to all the records he plays and generally looks like he's enjoying every second. 

Smoke Fairies play Cecil Sharp House this Sunday then we're hopping over to Europe in November for a tour which is damn exciting!

Before all that though there's a Monroe Transfer show at The Half Moon in Herne Hill. It's a show organised by the  webzine Penny Black Music who recently conducted a rather lengthy interview with us. 

This here blog was recently mentioned in a particularly unspectacular way on another blog and the only reason it was mentioned was becasue I commented on his blog. It's like blog incest, we're probably going to mate and produce a deformed twitter account. It's worth a mention though only becuase the blog in question (The Hornet) is a blog from this treasure trove of a shop of the same name, but with an 's' on the end and without the 'The'. It's a gents' vintage clothing shop and although it can be a little pricey -well, anything is pricey with me I guess- all their stock is magnificent and of top quality. I bought a 1970s three piece sky blue suit from there a month or so ago and it's just perfect in every way. Pop along if you're in the area.

“A man should look as if he had bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care and then forgotten all about them.”  Sir Hardy Amies

Back to BBC6 Music now; I heard Gruff Rhys' new single on there the other day and it's a fabulous song. Despite having released nine (consistently good) studio albums with Super Furry Animals, two solo albums and numerous other projects like Neon Neon he's still bursting with ideas and this one is a particular gem. It reminds me of the music of oddball 1960s producer Jean Pierre Massiera who's responsible for one of my favourite compilations, Midnight Massiera on Finders Keepers. That particular record label is mentioned on his site so it's not entirely surprising; also mentioned on Gruff's website is where to get the song, for FREE! so go here for the good stuff.