Live at Firestation Arts Centre, Windsor, Fri 27 Feb 2009

Live at Firestation Arts Centre, Windsor, Fri 27 Feb 2009; Vini Reilly

Full story of this excellent gig coming soon but meanwhile here's the setlist and you can relive the gig as it happened via my Twitter.

Wild Beast Tamed
More Rainbows
Otis
Woman
Jacqueline
"Vini solo" (guitar, sitting on stage)
The Missing Boy
The Beggar
Requiem for my Mother
--
Sketch for Summer
Untitled for You

Photos on Cerysmatic / Twitpic.

Live at Thekla, Bristol, Thu 26 Feb 2009

The Thekla is a ship which was converted into a live venue by Viv Stanshall back in the Sixties. It was the venue for the second of three nights in a row by The Durutti Column. More details to come but here's the setlist:

Wild Beast Tamed
More Rainbows
Otis
Woman
Jacqueline
The Missing Boy
The Beggar
Requiem for my Mother
--
Untitled for You

Live at Komedia, Brighton, Wed 25 Feb 2009

The Durutti Column Live at Komedia, Brighton, Wed 25 Feb 2009; Bruce Mitchell on drums

The Durutti Column began the most intensive part of the current tour (3 gigs in 3 nights - I realise this is nothing by usual touring standards but for The Durutti Column it going all out!) at Komedia in Brighton last night. A regimented approach saw them pretty much adhering to timetable all night from the unload right through to the close of play. Komedia's stage was deceptively roomy and with full backstage facilities quite palatial when compared to the spartan Baby Blue in Liverpool. The low entrance to the dressing room nearly took off your correspondent's head on more than one occasion though.

A quick but thorough soundcheck saw Vini indulge us with Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones riffs before a duet or two with Poppy Morgan. The full band ran through soundcheck staples Otis, Woman and Mother. After calling it quits Vini stuck around for a bit of ragtime jazz on piano. Everyone decamped upstairs for a bite to eat ahead of a 9pm stage time. Meanwhile a healthy crowd of punters assembled in the tables and chairs layout of the club.

As the clock turned nine, Vini and Poppy took the stage together (for a change). Vini made his introductions which were a variation on his usual theme of starting quiet and finishing very loud. "Thank you for coming out on a Wednesday to listen to our dodgy music". He also warned those in the front row of tables of the impending loudness. Talking about the songs Vini quipped "These are by... who are you again!?" to Poppy.

The full annotated setlist (notwithstanding a slight confusion over a possible extra track I missed between Otis and Woman) was:

Wild Beast Tamed (Vini and Poppy)
More Rainbows (Vini and Poppy)
Otis (Vini introduces Keir on bass & sampler and Bruce Mitchell "the only drummer even worth thinking about these days")
Woman (Long version with guitar and piano 'solos')
Gun (The story of Vini's life, according to Bruce)
The Missing Boy (a wag shouts "Come on!" and Keir responds "That's 'Come On', from our new album 'Get Out'")
The Beggar
Jacqueline (radically different sounding version, amazing)
Requiem for my Mother
--
Albatross (with Keir on drums)
Untitled for You

Hi to Bryn & co. Bryn's excellent photos are on his Twitpic and more will appear via my Cerysmatic Twitpic and the Official MySpace soon.

Also, check out Rob Orchard's Flickr Photostream.

You can also relive the gig via Twitter.com/cerysmatic and don't forget that I'll be covering more gigs.

The tour continues tonight at Thekla in Bristol and then tomorrow at the Firestation Arts Centre in Windsor (which is where I shall next be reporting from).

Love in the Time of Recession now out 2 March 2009

Amidst all the touring it slipped through the net that the release date for the new album Love in the Time of Recession has been brought forward to this coming Monday 2 March 2009.

Live at The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, Sat 21 Feb 2009

The Durutti Column live at Brudenell Social Club 21 February 2009; flyer

And so they stumbled on into Leeds...

Yes, The Durutti Column played the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds on Saturday.

According to Alken on the Durutti Yahoo List, the gig followed the pattern of recent ones in London, Liverpool and Newcastle and was rather good. Support came from Pudsey's The Declining Winter. I have cribbed the setlist from his excellent review.

Gun (Vini solo)
Wild Beast Tamed (with Poppy Morgan)
More Rainbows (with Poppy Morgan)
Otis
Woman
Jacqueline
Sketch for Summer
The Missing Boy
The Beggar
Requiem for my Mother
--
"Albatross" - Vini solo
Untitled for You

Phil Kooky, writing on the Durutti Yahoo List, who attended the gig under yet another feeble ruse for selling his Kooky wares, said "Vini said to me a couple of years ago how he wanted and enjoyed playing as a band. Keir by his own admission feels far more comfortable nowadays playing bass, and I just think that the band is very relaxed at the moment... Vini also is totally amazed that people turn up at all!"

Check out Simon Webbon's photos at simonwebbon.com. Prints are available for sale.

Don't forget that I'll be reporting live via Twitter and Twitpic on tomorrow's gig from Komedia in Brighton.

Live at The Cluny, Newcastle, Thu 19 Feb 2009

The Durutti Column live at The Cluny, Newcastle, 19 February 2009

The Durutti Column tour machine rolled on into Newcastle-upon-Tyne last Thursday. Your correspondent could not be there but piecing together the reports on the Cerysmatic Factory Message Board and the Durutti Yahoo List it would seem to have gone down very well with those in attendance.

No complete setlist yet but there was an encore with a solo Vini followed by the return of the full band.

Check out David Wala's Flickr photostream for some excellent shots of the night's goings on. Great one of Vini rocking out at the end.

Live at Baby Blue, Liverpool, Monday 16 Feb 2009

The Durutti Column live at Baby Blue, Liverpool, Mon 16 Feb 2009 [photo: © Simon Whitehouse 2009]

The Durutti Column hit the road again on Monday at the Live Lounge @ Baby Blue in Liverpool's Albert Dock. Arriving slightly late due to a small confusion the band set up and soundchecked in double quick time. Nevertheless, the doors opened a full 45 mins late at 20:15. Solo guitarist Neil Campbell played a stunning instrumental support slot.

The Durutti Column set followed a similar pattern to the one aired last time out at Bury, the highlight being 'Sketch for Summer'.

Many thanks to Simon Whitehouse for the photo. For more photos and full on-the-spot coverage at Twitter / cerysmatic and Twitpic.

Stand by for more Durutti Tweeting next week from Brighton and Windsor.

Setlist

More Rainbows (Vini solo)
Gun (Vini solo)
Wild Beast Tamed (Vini and Poppy Morgan)
Between the Blade and Me (Vini and Poppy Morgan)
Otis
Sketch for Summer
Sea Line Woman
Jacqueline
Missing Boy
The Beggar
Requiem for Mother

Bruce Mitchell on drums

Check out this short YouTube clip which shows the full glory of the legend that is Bruce Mitchell on drums. The compilation clip was filmed by a member of the audience at the recent Bury Met gig.

Indie / Experimental / Comedy

The official MySpace of The Durutti Column is under new management and open for business. In effect it has become the sister page of this, the official website.

I've added two tracks from the new album Love in the Time of Recession, Loser and Lockdown plus Ananda from Sunlight to Blue... Blue to Blackness.

You'll also find full details of upcoming gigs, photos and more.

myspace.com/thedurutticolumnmcr

2009 UK Tour Dates & Tickets Update

The Durutti Column live at Brudenell Social Club 21 February 2009; flyer

The Durutti Column UK Winter is off and running again a week today in Liverpool and following that in Leeds on Saturday 21 February. Thanks to the guys at the Brudenell for the great flyer which is displayed to the right.

I'll be going to several of the upcoming gigs on the tour and will be reporting live and direct via twitter.com/cerysmatic and via Twitpic (and this site too). First up: Liverpool.

The tour continues during February and March with tickets available via the usual outlets:

February

Mon 16 - Baby Blue, Liverpool [+ support from Neil Campbell, 12.00 GBP adv / 15.00 GBP door - Buy online]
Thu 19 - The Cluny, Newcastle [+ support from Chippewa Falls; Tickets 10.00 GBP adv, Buy online via from seetickets.com (+ booking fee / handling charge)]
Sat 21 - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds [+ support from The Declining Winter, Tickets 10.00 GBP adv]
Wed 25 - Komedia, Brighton [12.00 GBP adv]
Thu 26 - Thekla, Bristol [Doors 7pm Curfew 10pm; Tickets 12.00 GBP adv, Tickets available from seetickets.com (+ booking fee / handling charge)]
Fri 27 - Firestation Arts Centre, Windsor [10.00 GBP adv, 9.00 GBP conc / 8.00 GBP member]

March

Sun 8 - The Deaf Institute, Manchester [10.00 GBP adv, Tickets available from Ticketline]
Fri 20 - The Town Mill, Bridge Street, Mansfield, NG181AN [10.00 GBP adv, Tickets available from TicketWeb]

Doves at Inch"

Inch" blog

Fellow Manchester band Doves brought in some help for their recent recording session at Durutti man Keir Stewart's inch" Recording Studio - a whole choir in fact.

You can see the results at the newly-spruced up Inch" Studios website.

On eBay in the Time of Recession

Love in the Time of Recession

The new album Love in the Time of Recession is now available on eBay pre-sale via the Fullfill eBay Store priced 9.99 GBP + p&p.

Idiot Savants, the last Artful/Fullfill album release from 2007, is also available priced 4.99 GBP + p&p.

Live at The Met, Bury - Saturday 31 January 2009

Vini Reilly (during encore 'Tomorrow') [Photo © Copyright David Crausby 2009]


Vini Reilly and Poppy Morgan (and Phil Cleaver in the background with camcorder)


Vini Reilly and Bruce Mitchell


Keir Stewart, Bruce Mitchell and Vini Reilly

The Durutti Column kicked off their Winter UK tour at The Met in Bury on Saturday 31 January.

Vini Reilly did a couple of solo numbers before being joined by Poppy Morgan on piano for a couple of guitar/piano duets before Keir Stewart and Bruce Mitchell joined Vini for the rest of the set which played out as follows:

Gun (Vini solo)
Rainbows (Vini solo)
Wild Beast Tamed (Vini and Poppy MORGAN)
Between the Blade and Me (Vini and Poppy MORGAN)
Otis
Sketch for Summer
Sea Line Woman
Jacqueline
Missing Boy
The Beggar
Requiem for Mother
--
Tomorrow [encore]

Thanks to David Crausby and Steve Aldcroft for the photos. More of David's may be found at his Flickr stream and more of Steves are on cerysmaticfactory.info).

The tour continues during February and March:

February

Mon 16 - Baby Blue, Liverpool [+ support from Neil Campbell, 12.00 GBP adv / 15.00 GBP door - Buy online]
Thu 19 - The Cluny, Newcastle [+ support from Chippewa Falls; Tickets 10.00 GBP adv, Buy online via from seetickets.com (+ booking fee / handling charge)]
Sat 21 - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds [+ support from The Declining Winter, Tickets 10.00 GBP adv]
Wed 25 - Komedia, Brighton [12.00 GBP adv]
Thu 26 - Thekla, Bristol [Doors 7pm Curfew 10pm; Tickets 12.00 GBP adv, Tickets available from seetickets.com (+ booking fee / handling charge)]
Fri 27 - Firestation Arts Centre, Windsor [10.00 GBP adv, 9.00 GBP conc / 8.00 GBP member]

March

Sun 8 - The Deaf Institute, Manchester [10.00 GBP adv, Tickets available from Ticketline]
Fri 20 - The Town Mill, Bridge Street, Mansfield, NG181AN [10.00 GBP adv, Tickets available from TicketWeb]