SUPER FURRY ANIMALS

‏@BethanElfyn 2m
10am announcement on #SFA2015 @superfurry - watch the skies!

Only an hour to go before we find out what the hell this is all about...

...anyone excited? I honestly, genuinely never thought I would be, yet here I am waiting in anticipation. Christ!

I'm in Cardiff so will be looking out the window for any Aphex style shenanigans

Just noticed this video so I expect that explains the "watch the skies" comment:

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

Hang on, doesn't that mean "the bear wakes up from hibernation" or something?

Where is that? Do you recognise that park?

xpost

Where's this announcement meant to be being made, anyway? Social media? On the radio? Their website?

Hmm. There only seems to be Cian and Daf in that video, no sign of the rest of the band... although I assume that that's deliberate.

My Welsh is somewhat rusty but yes, trwmgwsg is "deep sleep", deffro "wake" and "arth" bear.

That's the Radiator bear in the video isn't it?

http://www.oocities.org/wbwlist/images/2bears.JPG

@jonmccue 1m1 minute ago

Finally I can let you all know the great news:
Super Furry Animals
plus support
O2 Academy Glasgow
Tuesday 5th May 2015
7pm

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/super-furry-animals-return-new-8732401

Reissue and tour then

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA10H7y6O3g

1st May - Cardiff University Great Hall
2nd May - Cardiff University Great Hall
5th May - Glasgow O2 Academy
6th May - Manchester Albert Hall
8th May - London O2 Academy Brixton

...

Well, colour me underwhelmed.

Yeah, although I'm not complaining about getting to see them live again.

And I guess if they're all back together they could decide to do some new stuff.

Well, I guess it's good news that they're going out and playing some shows, and it's great that they've chosen Mwng to reissue (it's their most overlooked album of their classic 1994-2004 period), but I'd be lying if I said that this was the news I was holding out for!

Yeah, my theory is that this is either a reboot and they're doing new stuff after the tour

Or, that it's a final goodbye.

Basically, not going back to indefinate hiaitus a'la Blur, or some such.

I guess it depends on whether you're a glass half-empty or half-full kinda person but I dunno, I don't think the band would have done this if they weren't into it. My guess is that they're having this tour to set the wheels back in motion and get used to playing together again and shake the rust off a bit. Really strange to have both Blur and Super Furry Animals back, like.

Ad I guess it depends on which half of my message you decide was my view.

I'm assuming they are on the 'newness' rather than the blueness..

Yeah, that's what I'm assuming too... hopefully when they do get back around to making their tenth album (which looks more likely now that it has been for years), then they'll be refreshed and hopefully make an album that stands up to their best work. I'm curious to see what their live shows are going to be like after not playing together for a while, I'm hoping a renewed enthusiasm will show in their performances!

http://www.nme.com/news/super-furry-animals/83168

Interesting that they're going for the "different set every night" approach, usually setlists on their tours in the past have been quite static with only the occasional variation. Looks like they're going to be throwing in a fair bit of Mwng too, which is great because there's more than a few tracks they haven't played much live since the album came out. They might dust off 'Gwreiddiau Dwfn/Mawrth Oer Ar Y Blaned Neifion' as a closer, which would be great to see.

According to someone on the list, the new Mwng reissue is copyrighted by Das Koolies according to Spotify.

http://www.endole.co.uk/company/09377942/das-koolies-limited

Das Koolies was supposed to be an SFA spin-off that was recorded around the same time as Guerrilla... I guess they're buying back their music under an ew name?

I like the idea of a "ew name"

I don't think it's got anything to do with buying back their music, as (as far as I'm aware) SFA already own the rights to Mwng. You'll find that a lot of bands set themselves up as limited companies for recording and touring purposes for financial reasons. It's very common.

Because being in a band is essentially a form of self-employment, and even bands have gotta pay income tax!

That makes sense. I think its interesting they chose to revive the name.

It's just a way for bands to manage their income/finances/accounts/tax etc., that's all. Pure music business finance stuff, really, and very common. More often than not bands tend to have various other people like accountants/tax advisers/financial advisers involved, for obvious reasons. A limited company can be set up with any name you like, within reason (there's various words you're not allowed to use; offensive names are an obvious no-no, but there's various other words you can't use).

Y'see, here in the UK when you're employed by someone, income tax and National Insurance deductions are normally sorted out for you. They come out of your pay packet seemingly automatically (even though someone has undoubtedly spent time calculating it for you). In a role where you're essentially your own boss, you either have to sort this out yourself or hire an accountant that will do this on your behalf. If you set yourself up as a limited company, all accounting records must be kept and all returns must be filed by a certain time. Not keeping accounting records can land you with a fine of £3,000 and not sending your returns on time can lead to (at best) your company being closed down or (at worst) prosecution. So it's really no surprise to find that many people who do set up limited companies have people that know what they're doing, and more than likely get paid a handsome amount for doing it!

But yeah, the resurrection of the Das Koolies name is very interesting. I do hope in the future they do something with that project. It would have to be something completely different from SFA though, else it may as well just out under the SFA banner.

Was that the project that had an hour long song which Gruff described as "terrible"? I can't remember the exact quote but I LOL'd when I read it the first time.

Yeah, Steelwerks In Stone!

They played a fine gig at the Royal Festival Hall in the mid 2000s that was quite a relaxed and Mwng heavy set, if memory serves.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/super-furry-animals-s4c-documentary-8739590?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

I have no doubt they're in it for at least another album.

Then Gruff brings me back to reality:

Speaking to NME, in an interview in this week's issue (available on newsstands now and digitally, frontman Gruff Rhys (pictured right) is non-committal over the long term future of the band, stating: "It's all been a bit last minute so these gigs we've got booked are all we're doing for now that we know. Everyone's busy with other stuff. We all have very different lives and it would be difficult to recreate the intensity without being in the studio for 12 months at a time."

However, guitarist Huw Bunford is more optimistic, saying, "These gigs will remind people of what we're all about. Doing another album? I would personally love to. But we'll just have tio wait and see."
Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/super-furry-animals/83267?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=superfurrys#byDW772Dq0FD6lCZ.99

The group will reissue their fourth studio album, ‘Mwng' as a two-disc and triple-vinyl package to mark its 15th anniversary on May 1. The new edition will contain five tracks previously released on the US version of 'Mwng' under the name 'Mwng Bach', as well as a previously unreleased John Peel session and a full live show recorded at ATP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oByYOPg3LXs

6 December 2015-3 January 2016
SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff
THE INSATIABLE, INFLATABLE CANDYLION
“A long time ago, In the Kingdom of Candy, a lion once roamed the streets...
Howled on the hour, whined on the minute, roared every second day of the year.”
An immersive, festive treat from the creative minds behind the genre-bending Praxis Makes Perfect: Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys, writer Tim Price and director Wils Wilson team up to create a show like no other - a theatre gig for audiences of all ages, inspired by the seminal album Candylion.
Featuring inflatable fat cats, a dalmation on drums, pink candyfloss, blue audience members, a penniless penguin, and all led by Gruff Rhys himself - this is a festive show you’ll be singing about for years to come!
Tim Price also wrote the award-winning The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning, which was performed by NTW in schools in Pembrokeshire, Cardiff and Flintshire in April 2012, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2013.

Well, the band have added dates since the dates are selling out, so that's a good sign. On the other hand, Gruff seems to be addicted to making stuff without them.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/listen-exclusively-first-single-new-8789392

Super Furry Animals' synth wizard Cian Ciarán has always made his voice heard.

As a campaigning musician and an impassioned activist he is a rarity in a world where pop and politics invariably make for uneasy bedfellows.

This week may be all about the return of the Furries after a six-year hiatus but there’s no let-up for the musician with a social conscience. Ciarán has recorded a protest album alongside former Beta Band frontman Steve Mason, and poets Stephen Burke-Morrison...

I'm pretty convinced SFA's live shows are going to be a mess. There's no way they're getting enough rehearsal time together.

Ah right, so they're using the "return of SFA" thing to boost interest in their solo careers. Smart.

I'm pretty clearly a fanboy, but I don't think they have it in them to pull off "playing every song in their catalog" while limiting themselves to two months of rehearsal while they work on countless projects. There must've been a reason they stuck to pretty static setlisst in the past.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Guitar-Owned-By-Super-Furry-Animals-Gruff-Rhys-/271794243472?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f48330790

Honestly surprised that's going for more than the dollar it was at yesterday.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/09/pop-political-british-musicians-paloma-faith

Cian wrote a bit of a manifesto that got published by The Guardian. Surprised by the number of comments it's received; they're mostly negative.

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/zefurwolves?referrer=artist181150&utm_campaign=project10983&utm_medium=activity

Pledge Music for the Zefur Wolves album. Really expensive vinyl.

Meh.

Headlining Green Man on the Saturday night

http://www.greenman.net/line-up/2015/

I'm going to really try to go to that. I'm excited that they're playing something in August. It gives me hope they're planning on staying together for a while. We'll see if they make it out of the summer. Zefur Wolves are also playing. I hear Gulp might as well. It'll be a great weekend.

I found a Zefur Wolves LP review: http://www.apessimistisneverdisappointed.com/2015/03/cian-ciarans-back-with-zefur-wolves-my.html

Sounds pretty good.

There's a Zefur Wolves track here. Not feeling it, although there are a few nice moments. http://www.gigslutz.co.uk/exclusive-zefur-wolves-premier-new-track-wake-gigslutz/

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/super-furry-animals-gruff-rhys-the-journey-through-a-distorted-vision-of-reality-10125805.html

turrican's earlier thoughts were a good read on the state of the band. when consider dark days/light years' songwriting and recording process took place during the hey venus! sessions, it's easy to see the band might've been running out of steam quite some time ago. i suppose gruff might've been deflecting since the concert reunion had not been announced yet, but i'm not so sure that the tour is anything more than a quick cash grab. they all seem pretty serious about their individual careers. if a tenth sfa album were to be as bad as the new blur album's sounding like it might be, then i guess it's for the best..

on another note, i listened to hey venus! last night and enjoyed it a lot more than I did when it came out. sounded pretty nice on good headphones, too.

when considering*