Mouldy old dough by Earl Brutus.

This thread has given me so much pleasure already, even if nothing comes to pass, but I would love it if the combined efforts of a small group of fans gave others the opportunity to hear and enjoy one of the greatest and most under appreciated bands of all time.

re the NME video.
jamie mentioned that it was actually broadcast live on ch4.
they were billed with BRA .. and apparently, jamies trousers split.
i laughed, but it was quickly pointed out that actually, it was quite serious, and no laughing matter !
so do indeed look closely should you find the video, you may get to see more than you bargained for.

I had a couple of the singles through the post today. The S.A.S and the Glam which has The Scottish on it which is pretty great.

They sent me the wrong CD of Universal Plan which is fine as I can get the other one cheap on Ebay but annoyingly it doesn't come with any new songs (unless Nicotine Stain is counted as an actual song) It does have two songs recorded at the London Astoria January 18th 1998. I'm guessing Come Taste My Mind is the same version on the NME CD where he starts shouting about home safety being very fucking important. It's been years since I actually played that version but I kept that CD for only that song.

I just read about Shin-Yu's rants at their gigs and on Nicotine Stain it finnishes with him shouting he wants some kidney pie, you just don't get that with other bands.

I love the picture in the Universal Plan single of them at the live show. It looks really kind of iconic.

I'm waiting to get the Come Taste My Mind single next.

Also I just noticed one of the singles came with a card to send off for more Earl information. It has an address to contact with other fans directly maybe I should send it? I like how under the place to write my address it says what is your plan? with a space to fill out the answer.

On the other side it says

POP MUSIC IS WASTED ON THE YOUNG.

It will go nicely with the other one I have on my wall that says

JESUS DIED FOR EARL BRUTUS...

until we have figured a few things out, i will not be releasing this to the wire as an mp3.

absolutely right.

i.e. i am gunning for mark g's suggestion upthread (whether it was serious mark or not it matters not now !)

Oh, I was absolutely serious.

Regarding the MCPS, it may need the permission of the original songwriter(s), but I don't think they will object. And as a fitting tribute to Nick and a 'genuinely subversive' act of chart attack, those guys must surely be up for this.

OK, this thread has reached new heights of wonder. Anything I can do to help: count me the fuck in.

Genuinely can't wait to hear this. God, ILM is a wonderful place sometimes. You all rock, mightily.

producer bloke who follows my twitter feed has just revealed that the original version of MOD was recorded on his tape machine

Ha! On a vaguely related note, I sent these two tweets last night:

Going to the pub. LISTENING TO EARL BRUTUS. Match made in heaven, that.

and then on the way home:

On a bus, listening to NORTH SEA BASTARD by EARL BRUTUS. Can any of your readers beat that? 'Course they fucking can't.

and yes, he did say that should someone want to sort out the story of the band he would be a very willing participant

If I had more time right now, I'd jump at the chance to do this. If nobody else takes the bait in the mean time, it's something I might speak to you about again in six months' time, Mark.

OK, this thread has reached new heights of wonder.

i realise i've gone quiet, but rest assured if 37% of what has been discussed in the last 24 hours actually happens, you aint seen nothing yet.

entire discography reissued in a 2CD collection a la Chavez? :D

btw this is probably in my top 3 all-time band-specific ILM threads - there's just so much...desperate enthusiasm, not to put too fine a point on it! i kinda think of this band as being in a holy trinity of Englishness with The Fall and HMHB - and considering they only put out two records, that's saying a lot.

'Larky' single is of course three tracks of sheer, sheer brilliance. Needs more repping!

Oh and I'm totally backing S to do the EB story! Preferably starting with a big fuck-off paragraph about the first time he saw them. Which sounds like roughly the greatest gig experience anyone's ever had.

It's hard to put my finger on why I love them so much. I was 13 when the first album came out and I bought their albums around a time when all I spent my money on was indie and Brit Pop a lot of which has been thrown out or forgotten about. They've stood the test of time better than nearly every band I loved at the time. Both the albums are perfect and sound like proper classics over 10 years on.

Not many bands sounded like they were having as much fun as Earl Brutus did and best of all they had huge tunes to back it all up with.

Larky is indeed a great single, England Sandwich is such a creepy and brilliant song.

I got to hear the Come Taste My Mind singe and it's B-sides today. Brilliant!

Larky is indeed a great single, England Sandwich is such a creepy and brilliant song.

Yeah, and I've had Teenage Opera stuck in my head all day!

The first album has a run of tracks where it loses a bit of momentum (Motarola through Curtsy) and a couple of the tracks near the start are good but not great. The second album is pretty much perfect from start to finish. MAYBE they could have kept Midland Red as a b-side, because if anything it's the least brilliant, but fuck it still bangs, especially in the second half with those guitars. The one I'd especially like to praise is Male Wife, which is more or less as stunning a closing track as there is, especially considering it was their last album. It sounds like the end of music.

It seems like a few people on here prefer the second album which I do but I really don't think there's much in it.

I think the opening five tracks on Your Majesty are all pretty special. I do agree Motarola is maybe the weakest moment but I absolutely love Shrunken Head especially when he starts singing Massive head in that really high voice. Curtsy is a sweet little interlude that gets you ready for Blind Date and Life's Too Long which which are two of the most powerful tracks. I think if anything the first album flows better. The drums at start of Life's Too Long are one of those great moments in rock, the timing is perfect.

Blind Date and Life's Too Long which which are two of the most powerful tracks

Not disputing this; they're enormous. Karl Brutus is really pretty and I *love* the bonus track, wish it had been indexed separately. Don't even know what it's called!

The bonus track is a one off Christmas single they did on vinyl called Single Seater Xmas.

It's awesome! There should be a mini-EP of all their instrumental collages.

If you do want Single Seater xmas separately someone is selling it on Ebay for 5.99 buy it now. I know as I've been searching out all their singles over the last few days. It's a one sided vinyl.

I don't know if you ever watched the ITV Chart Show? It used to have these top 10 indie charts every few weeks. There's a funny one from December 95 that has Earl Brutus at number one but obviously the song didn't have a video so they made their own with a floating picture of the behind in front of a burning fire. It's a brief clip but it is up on YouTube. It's funny that they are number one ahead of Wonderwall by Oasis. I can't ever imagine Earl Brutus outselling Oasis but it was a lovely moment.

Maybe when they finally bring out the boxset there will be an awesome instrumental disc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnM76_tR6w4

looooool

I know it's brilliant! I used to watch it every Saturday and tape the indie charts as it was all I was into. Earl Brutus appeared a few times with all the singles from Your Majesty but that is the classic clip.

Changing the subject slightly..what the hell is going on with that Baby Bird song?

I do agree Motarola is maybe the weakest moment

Not having this! Sure, it's not their greatest moment but the last 1'14" is something else: the vocal harmonies, the echo and that fantastic, needling guitar ... fuck's sake, if anyone was doing stuff that sounded like that today, I'd be in clover.

but I absolutely love Shrunken Head especially when he starts singing Massive head in that really high voice

MASSIVE HEAD! MASSIVE HEAD! Er ... yes.

I dunno. Two perfect albums, really. Ultimately, I'd take Tonight ... because I think it just has that slight edge. And, y'know, Second Class War.

what the hell is going on with that Baby Bird song?

I don't remember that one at all! I thought I'd got everything he ever did (don't ask) but that seems to have been the very first single and totally passed me by.

I do really like Motarola but compared to the other tracks it's my least favorite. They have such a high standard. Earl Brutus are one of the few bands I'd give two albums 10/10 to.

I do own that boxset of those early Babybird albums but from that clip that song sounds just a little off. It was a one off vinyl with the excellent Lemonade Baby on the other side. Strange to think a year later he was in the top 3.

“However, we are told these boys definitely won’t be “sleeping in” on Christmas Day!”

Finally on Youtube. Come Taste My Mind from NME Brats Tour 1998.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL5UeP24bp0

fantastic.
really fantastic.
they didn't have the neon signs on top of the monitors when i saw them. nice touch.
ta for the effort sir .. great to see that.

Who knew?

http://thequietus.com/articles/04092-earl-brutus-for-glastonbury-line-up

not i.

though you can be sure i'm going to try and find out more.

I suggested a cardboard cut-out of Nick Sanderson, perhaps attached to a revolving sign, maybe with a cut-out of Prince Charles on the reverse, Shin-Yu all giving it a drunken kick every so often...

(in 999/1000 cases, this would be inappropriate - not so here)

[Returns to ILX in a puff of fag smoke]

Hello all. What the FUCK is all this about, then? :)

and so the fun begins :

http://the1234shoreditch.com/line-up/2010/pre-present-earl-brutus.html

line up :

THE PRE NEW

(From Stage –L R)

Stuart Boreman – Insecurity Guard
Jim Fry – Vocal / i-Pod
Gordon King – Effects
L B - Guitar
Shinya Hyashida – Bass Guitar / Voice
George Phillips – Drums
Vincent Gibson – Vocal

And as mark e just posted, more details:

http://ireallylovemusic.co.uk/blog/?p=1503

ah. ta ned.
loving the fact i will get to hear some world of twist classics as well as rejoicing in the brutus noise.
needless to say, (to bring the thread back in line), i will be the one shouting out for mouldy old dough

well, what can i say.
on saturday i was lucky to be able to check out the first official live debut by the pre new.
hanging out before the chaos with the band (Shin and Jamie Fry from EB, and some mates adding more noise) was very revealing.
firstly and most shocking to me was finding out out there was/is a secret member of Earl Brutus who provides a lot of the lyrics, and even the vocals to 'on me, not in me'.
secondly, jamie fry is soon to hit the mid century, but to say he is fired up re the Pre New would be an understatement.
oh, and his "thirst for life" is anything but settling down.
as to the actual gig ?
well, Shin is on bass (something he isn't too happy about as it means he has to actually work as opposed to being able to just stand there and get sh*t faced!), and his stage presene consists of standing low, hair down covering face, bass neck vertical, and just letting loose.
Jim on vocals dominates the stage (like Mark Stewart, Jamie is a big big man).
No slacker appearance for him. Sharp suit, sharp shoes, and sharp 'tude.
The music may have lacked the machine beats and synths that make EB so special, but this was just a practise session for the band to feel their feet, so it was pretty straight up rock sounding, but for 40 minutes they rattled out a couple of old classics ('universal plan' of course, the rest are a booze fueled blazed blur), and one or two new ones that have lyrics just as direct and wonderful as previously.
the result of which was just a huge blast and very entertaining (Jamie using the venues air conditioning as extra percussion)
unfortunately due to the need to get up @ 6am the next day, i was not able to stay out with them to celebrate the event, but i'm lead to believe things became somewhat messy.
growing old disgracefully never felt or sounded so good.

^awesomeness

it was beyond awesome.
several times through the evening i just kept getting major rushes of 'what the fuck is happening here !'
it was at times very surreal.
eg. finding out that the drummer was part of electrafixation (live band version) and marion meaning a lot of 90s indie nerd talk was rather appropiate.
my new favourite possession : a 'i'm with the pre new' badge

I am going to have to see this band, very soon. You have me all worked up now!

i would like to hope they incorp. machines into the full set, as opposed to bass/guitar/drums etc..
pretty certain one discussion indicated they intended to.

The Pre New Anthem lyric snippets

We crash fast cars
We kill pop stars
We eat Mars Bars

We eat Mars Bars

We don't do Voodoo
'Cause we don't have too

BOMB ME
BOMB ME
BOMB ME

this is a classic stomp of a track.

cant wait to hear the recorded version.

gosh :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xrSHMAXz2I

write up the so called riot :

http://dearme.spex.de/2010/06/08/his-royal-darkness-sir-nicholas-sanderson/

also, now i know where the logo for the pre new was lifted from.

Sweet

^ (concealed Chinnichap reference)

I am going to have to see this band, very soon. You have me all worked up now!

They played on Saturday, LJ, where were you?

Not knowing when bands are playing, that's where I was

Internet, dear boy, internet

well, Shin is on bass (something he isn't too happy about as it means he has to actually work as opposed to being able to just stand there and get sh*t faced!), and his stage presene consists of standing low, hair down covering face, bass neck vertical, and just letting loose

In fact, Damo Suzuki crossed with Holger Czukay!

http://www1.sk-static.com/images/media/img/col6/20100704-132319-437549.jpg

this saturday is the bands last confirmed gig for a while at the 1234 festival.

wish i could go.

it sounds like they have changed the set up quite a bit in the last few weeks.

It's like I know the guy who wrote this story. Wonder who he is...

http://thequietus.com/articles/04671-earl-brutus-revived-jamie-fry-of-the-pre-new-interviewed

Deep roffles:

Speaking of Glastonbury, given the history of the band, you're not the most obvious band for the festival; did you end up having a so-called 'Glastonbury moment'?

JF: Earl Brutus played on a rainy Sunday afternoon in the new bands tent when Pulp were headlining. It was pissing with rain, we were all in a bad mood, we got there at midday, played at 4pm and left at 1am. So that was my impression of Glastonbury.

The only other thing that I thought was hilariously funny, was due to the mud, our gear had to be carried in on a land rover, and we had to walk and got covered in mud, but in front of us was Sean Lennon being carried by 2 roadies so he didn't get his feet dirty. We went on stage doing our thing, and a friend of ours was on the side of the stage when Sean walked up to him and said 'what's this shit?'. To which our friend said 'That's Earl Brutus, and your dad would have fucking loved them', leaving Sean stomping off in a strop. Of course, the fact that we had a full tent for our show that completely emptied when he came on after us was just hilarious.

Also pretty amazing:

Did you wear the suit?

JF: Yeah, I always wear the suit on Saturday nights.

Could you explain more, given that Earl Brutus were not a suit wearing band?

JF: Always be true to yourself. Earl Brutus were a garage forecourt type of band, eating kebabs, but that was 13 years ago, and a lot has happened. Listen to the words in the new stuff; there is a truth to the new stuff, and we are no longer dysfunctional teens. Earl Brutus was talking about growing up in our thirties, now we are about a different era of pensions and property schemes.

I've just spent 2 years on a property venture, in a bid to try and make money because I want a bit of money in my pockets when I get old. It didn't fail, and it didn't succeed, but I tell you what, it was fucking boring. I was exposed to that world, and so the words reflect that.

Yeah, I put on the suit, dressing up and making a big deal of it. It's a northern thing, as Londoners don't seem to do it. I'm a middle aged man, and a middle age man wears a suit; I'm a grown up father of two, so I'm not going to talk about being broke on the dole, as I'm not.

Plus if you're 6ft 1, you can get away with wearing a suit.

Of course, I have to mention Martin [Fry, Jamie's older brother, lead singer of ABC] and the legend of his suit...

JF: His was quite retro; mine's from Zara. Well, when I put on the suit, I do look like the big brother, but every band Martin and I ever listened to dressed up; like Dexys, Dr. Feelgood and Roxy Music. Me putting the suit on gets everyone going: last Saturday George [a fine drummer with recommended tales of his times in Marion and Electrafixation] wears a military outfit, and then Shinya says 'tonight it's showbiz night Jim' and pulls out a full Kimono and headband, and the twins put on their Clash styled t-shirts.

one story even more chucklesome was cut from the edit.

Which you're about to sum up for us now. Um, please.

probably best not too.
there were reasons it didn't make the final edit.
[fear not ned, wasn't that funny, it was more to do with the manner in which jim told it .. ]