Holiday over, back to the grind

Not much has been happening in our 10 day hiatus. I've been off work for a week decorating my spare room/studio. Exciting. I've finally picked up the guitar for the first time to write new stuff and have written a song currently entitled 'All I Wanted Was A Lover' which may be ready for my solo online gig on Sept 14th. I recorded a quick version live on our Ustream site which is the site that my online gig (and ALL our online gigs) are streamed through. It's even easier now to record a tune in 1 take and have us both able to watch it back wherever we both happen to be. Jonathan watched it later the next evening. Rather than emailing a huge file and spending ages, it really is going to make sharing tunes easier. Anyway...apart from that, no news really.

It's back to the gigging circuit tomorrow in Leicester at The Musician, then this weekend sees us head to London for a house gig then the following day, a gig in a swanky bar.

We are both off to see Dry The River in September thanks to a tip from a fan on our Facebook page. We give you great music and you recommend great music back. Fantastic.

M x

A small but great album review from FATEA

Some lovely words by the team at FATEA Magazine - http://www.fatea-records.co.uk/

"Barricades Rise are like a troupe of troubadours rolled into a duo and sent out into the world with a mission to entertain. "All I Have Is Here" is an album powered by the spark of life and imbued with a rousing spirit. This is keenly observed poetry served up as acoustic rock. It's as much about life's simple pleasures as it is about the more complicated ones, often in the same song. "Making Faces From Clouds" is a song about one of those things that we've all whiled away time doing, then weave a song about relationships through it. It's an album easy to start, hard to put down."

The Maudsley, Coventry - 21/08/11 - Review

So last night saw us back at our favourite Coventry venue, The Maudsley. This time we weren't playing the Ditch The TV night upstairs where everyone pays to come in and watch some quality music and also where we'd had many a great gig, this time (off the back of one of those upstairs gigs) we'd been booked by the manager to perform downstairs to the general pub going folk who wanted a last pint or 5 before work in the morning. Essentially, it wasn't the Maudsley we knew, it may as well have been a different pub altogether.


So apart from the above, what else set this gig apart from, not only a Ditch the TV night, but any normal gig was the fact that we were asked to play 2 x 45min sets, which we rarely do on the acoustic circuit (half hour to 40mins top). Also, the manager had asked us to throw in a couple more covers, which we didn't mind as we were prepared to 'sell out' due to the fact that we were getting a couple of quid from the pub to perform.

We arrived with wives in tow about 5 o'clock with our own PA system and set up, sound checked and grabbed a pint. The bar staff ensured us that Sunday nights were usually a busy affair and we could expect some 'dancing' from the locals. At this point, the pub was a quarter full and no one looked like they were about to bust a move on our asses. 6pm came and we kicked off our first set to a sparse gathering. We were playing the tunes well but for the first 25mins the room, bar a few people, seemed a little disinterested. Then, a few people decided to relocate seats from round the many corners towards our general direction and we felt the atmosphere change for the better. We ended the first set with our cover of All Or Nothing (Small Faces) and was greeted with a pint each from a member of the audience.


After a 20min break we took to the stage to perform our final set and stormed it. More people were gathering and stopping their conversations to watch us. Two new covers were slotted in that we had never played all the way through in practice, let alone a gig. The first was the 60's classic 'The Letter' by the Box Tops and we seemed to nail it. The second was a slightly chilled version of Slade's 'Cum on Feel the Noize' which was a personal highlight for me. Ending with Dazed, we had won the room over and a few different people commented that we were the best live music act they had seen at the Maudsley! A few albums were sold and a few more pints were bought for us and drunk by us before we packed down and left on a slightly drunken high.


It was great to perform for 90mins and to have enough songs to do it without resorting to playing songs were not comfortable with. Playing the covers was also fun and now we have a few more to choice from when we need to slot one in. At this gig we covered

1)Come Together – The Beatles
2)Twist and Shout – The Beatles (not sure who actually wrote this?)
3)All or Nothing – The Small Faces
4)The Letter – The Box Tops
5)Cum on Feel The Noize - Slade

Thanks to the Maudsley pub for having us and cheers for everyone's kind words.

Jonathan

Getting ready for Christmas

A little early we know. The last 2 years we've sent out a free CD to anyone that wants one at Christmas. Containing a Christmas cover, a few other random covers and alternative versions of our songs, we've sent them not only across the UK but across THE WORLD! Sri Lanka, Australia, USA, Russia etc. This year we're starting early due to time constraints so...

IF YOU WANT A CD FOR FREE THIS CHRISTMAS SIMPLY SEND US YOUR ADDRESS AT band@barricadesrise.co.uk

That's it really. Expect a lovely musical present this year.

Umbrella Festival, Northampton and more Review

ABOVE: The Wall Of Fame @ Northampton

Two gigs were booked for this weekend. Saturday was the Umbrella Festival in Northampton and Sunday Cox's Yard in Stratford. Firstly though, about a week back, after thinking of various venues and locations that would be interesting to film a few live tracks, I came upon the idea of our local chippy. It just so happended that Jonathan plays poker occasionally with the owner, so a time was set up without fuss to come over and record. On Saturday morning we drove the 4 minutes down the road and set up the camara. It was all over in half an hour with around 7 takes of one tune and around 4 of another, we really need to learn our songs better! These videos will appear online at some point, they are in the editing stages still.

Trying his hardest to look like Johnny Cash - Failing

The festival gig was very similar to our Lichfield Fuse Festival gig a few months back. Very family orientated with a few stages. Turning up at 2.45 to go on at 3.05 (NO PARKING!!), originally to get 20 minutes we were allowed to stretch to 30 due to cancellations. Once we took to the stage, the tent was reletively empty, but by the time the first tune, I Gave Up The World, was done it was about half full. It seemed our mix of beautifully crafted melodies and head-banging sweaty stage presence agreed with the Northampton folk. In attendance were a few people who'd come to see us especially, one even came all the way from Nuneaton! At each gig we play now we have an email sign up sheet available on a table somewhere when we play so people can sign up to our mail list.

Umbrella Fest

Nearly 2 pages of emails we gained with ALL the free keyrings and badges being devoured quickly. A queue formed for buying our album after the gig and it took a good 15 minutes to serve and chat to all those that wanted one. We really didn't know what to expect of the gig and if I'm being hosest, didn't feel up for it on the way there, but after seeing the reaction after the first tune, it turned into a storming set. We'd recommend the festival to EVERYONE next year.

Promoter and organiser Hannah Faulkner and Jonathan being slightly offensive

The evening for me was spent relaxing with family from Glasgow that had spent the weekend with us. Then an early night due to doing a Car Boot in the morning.

Sunday arrived far too early at 5.15am. I've been saying now for a good 8 weeks that every Sunday I WILL go and do a car boot, and duely end up not. This weekend was the time though. My wife and I headed to the local Car Boot at 6.15 getting there at ten to 7. All our used wares and, lets face it, crap, was sold to the public and a slither under £100 was made. Result! A 3 hour sleep was needed when I got back though to get myself ready and awake for our gig. We headed off at 7.30, got there at 8.15, paid £3.50 for parking, left the place at 8.25 as it was not on. GUTTED. After checking our emails and facebook messages, no trace of cancellation notices were found. We have been asked back for September the 15th so will hopefully be able to make it then.

So with 1 error filled, yet worthwhile film shoot, 1 absolutely amazing gig and 1 Sunday evening wasted I'd say it was a fairly good weekend. The good outweighs the bad in the end.

Meet the man who made it possible... (Umbrella fest)

Our next gig is next Sunday and will be a super long one. It's just us for 2 45 minute sets, at The Maudsley in Coventry. It's free too!

M x

Jonline gig (see what I did)

Jonathan played a solo gig last night that was streamed live on t'Internet. He did well seeing as it was last minute (our B'ham gig got cancelled due to the riots). Please skip to about 12 minutes as it's a lot of nonsense at the start. Whilst streaming, the picture was perfect but it's really jerky now, we'll get round that next time.

M x
Follow @barricadesrise

The Riots

First off we both wish all our freinds, family and fans a safe time over the past few and no doubt next few nights. Although neither of us live directly in a City concerned, it's only 20 miles down the road to Birmingham where it has kicked off big style. We are supposed to be playing a gig at the Island Bar in the centre of Birmingham tonight but unfortunately, and wisely, it has been cancelled by the promotor. Not deterred, us Barricades Boys (well, one of us) will be playing online for you. At 7.30 go to our Online Gigs page and Mr. J. S. Coates will play a few tunes for you. I'll be at my in-laws enjoying a birthday meal, no live feed of this is available.
With the power of social media, Coventry Telegraph have caught our story and featured it on their music blog here.
There is a strange atmosphere around everything I feel. I slight feeling that at anytime, day or night, things could turn, whether it's in a large City or a more local town. But what I must say is that the rioters (really, they are not rioting, simply looting) are severaly outnumbered by those who love and care about their community. The pictures surfacing around the riots are tragic and shocking, but the clean up photos have been inspiring. Whole communites, black, white, asians, all coming together to show the looters that they will not be shaken. Over 1000 people have apparently turned up in Birmingham today to help clean up the mess. Simply WOW.
In the past few weeks I've taken to Tweeting a lot more, and have noticed that there is huge support for the clean up of places affected by the riots on twitter and facebook. Please go visit @Riotcleanup on Twitter as they seem to be in contact with the whole Country organising the clean up! They are also helping people that have lost everything to get clothes, food and shelter.

For up to date info, the BBC has a pretty good site up at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14449675
Thats it from me
Stay safe

Michael (and Jonathan)

Interview and exclusive videos with TheMusicWeLove.net

A few weeks ago we were contacted via Facebook by a lovely woman, Tara, from the US of A, saying how much she dug us. Turns out she writes her own music blog and being nice gentlemen she'd like to interview us. Alongside the interview we proposed we'd do a short live video for her site exclusively. We ended up recording 2 videos and the interview and both vids are now online. Check out the marvelous www.themusicwelove.net , our interview and videos are about half way down (Currently the third post).



If you are on Twitter follow her on @taperjean_girl8, and while you're at it, follow us too @barricadesrise



M x

The Jolly Colliers, Coalville 06/08/11 - Review

Us BR boys have one rule when gigging, we call it the 'Two Pint Rule'. Now, you wont have to be a scientist of the rockets to decipher what this rule entails, but for those who may be a little slow on the uptake we have limited ourselves to two pints (larger) before going on stage. The reason for this can be found in previous posts of disaster gigs due to having that one too many. Last night we broke our rule!

The Jolly Colliers is a lovely pub in Coalville and has a real village/local feel to it but in a good way, not a 'Deliverance' way. Everyone is friendly and the previous two times we have made the trip have been great nights. Leaving Nuneaton with one wife in tow (Michael's) we got to the pub around 8pm, met up with Michael's dad and sister and grabbed drinks number one. Drink number two fell into my lap shortly afterwards and after the first two acts had finished, so had drink number three. Rule broken


The promoter took the third slot on the bill and we discussed our set which was to be an hour long. Taking to the stage at around 10:30pm with drink number four in hand, we both felt a little tipsy and eager to please. Now four pints wouldn't normally phase many people but neither Michael or myself have really had many big drinking sessions lately and four was enough to make us a little loose. I would like to say that we played for the whole hour and made no mistakes and loads of people cheered, bought albums and joined to the mailing list however, that's not strictly true. We made quite a few mistakes and silly ones at that and remembered exactly why we have the 'Two Pint Rule'. Despite these mistakes, we did get the cheers, the album sales , sign ups and even drink number five from the land lady = RESULT :)


Another great night on the album tour and another great night in Coalville.

Jonathan

Played to a T were
The Preacher
Aftermath
Come Together
I Gave Up The World
Animals
Twist and Shout
Making Faces From Clouds
If You Were Here
Folk Songs and Jazz Bands
Run
Sleepwalkers
Roundabouts
Dazed

Two exclusive live videos take 1

Last night we recorded a couple of live videos, exclusively for a few websites. I Gave Up The World was recorded for www.soundsthatmatter.com and Roundabouts for www.tara-themusicilove.blogspot.com .

Recorded in our studio in around half an hour, the sound was ace but the visuals a bit underwhelming. For this reason we'll be taking it on the road this weekend to a few locations and re-recording them both. One upside is we've figured out a really quick and simple (and mobile) way of recording us that sounds fantastic, so we won't be lumping around a load of equipment and may even be able to record a gig or two.

Check the two formentioned sites out as they are really helping us.

M x

The Market Inn, Kettering - 01/08/11 - Review

The great Emily Coates (my wife and she is great) once said to me “You two shine when you make mistakes”. Now this may seem like a strange thing to say and it was something I never really thought too much about until we came offstage last night.

We’d never gigged Kettering before let alone the Market Inn Pub so we were going in a little blind but in safe company as the promoter, Stevie Jones, had booked us many a time at his various nights across the midlands and fellow friend Hannah Faulkner was also on the bill. Arriving at just after 8 o’clock we noticed an empty pool table and decided to waste some time and money on that. After making Michael feel like half a man and not worthy of being in the same room as me (I beat him twice) we decided that the quiz machine was the next logical thing to throw money at. Deciding after losing a couple of quid that the thing was ‘rigged’, we popped outside for my nicotine top up and met with Hannah for a catch up before stage time.

Me, WINNING

Michael, Forgetting he needs to actually aim at a ball

Stevie Jones, a performer and promoter, took to the stage first to warm the now relatively full room up with some of his originals. He did it well and then welcomed us up to the stage. Kicking into ‘I Gave Up The World’ followed by ‘The Preacher’, we seemed to be on a roll. Then the mistakes started creeping in with newer tunes such as ‘Making Faces From Clouds’ and ‘Folk Songs and Jazz Bands’. Some mistakes were subtle but other blatant and that’s where my wife’s comment comes into play. For us, a mistake is an invitation to up the onstage banter and draw people’s attention to the mistake and our shortcomings but without making excuses and looking for sympathy. Some acts prefer to apologize for mistakes and some prefer to ignore that they happened in the hope that the audience didn’t notice (half the time they don’t) however, we feel more comfortable amplifying these things and getting a laugh out of them and winning over the audience just that extra little bit. Nine times out of ten it works and then you rock through the rest of the set. This is exactly what we did and ended on ‘Roundabouts’ and ‘Dazed’ (see video below taken on Stevie’s phone) to decent applause. Leaving the stage we jumped into salesmen roles and did our thing with the albums and mail sheets and settled back to watch Hannah play a cracking set of tunes.

A very blurry Hannah

Stevie

With the MP3 player burning a hole through the speakers, we zoomed home happy to add another successful show to the ‘All I Have Is Here’ tour. With only about 25 miles to go I realised that I had no petrol in the car and proceeded to panic all the way to nearest petrol station which was 2 minutes from our houses. We just made it via accidentally running a red light

Jonathan

We attempted to play through..
I Gave Up The World
The Preacher
Making Faces From Clouds
This Creation
Folk Songs and Jazz Bands
Roundabouts
Dazed