Supplemental: Upcoming Gigs

Great news for Maniac fans, the band starts a residency at our home gig
The Roadhouse.
From Tues 24th July onwards, The Maniac will be playing the Third Tuesday in every month right through the summer/autumn/winter.

Please check this blog for further details and, WHOOPEE!!

Soapstone Maniac
Wed 27th June: The Roadhouse, Birmingham.
Tue 24th July: The Roadhouse, Birmingham.
Tue 21st Aug: The Roadhouse, Birmingham.
ETC... :o)

Facez
Thurs. 7th June, The Horns, Watford
Thurs. 14th June, The Thorns, Brierley Hill, West Mids
Sat. 23rd June, Bridgnorth Leisure Centre, Bridgnorth, West Mids
Thurs. 2nd August, The Thorns, Brierley Hil, West Mids
Fri. 17th August, The Tackaroo, Hednesford, West mids
Sat 15th Dec. Nailcote Hall, Berkswell, Warwickshire

Facez Faeces

Sum1 who shall remain nameless wrote me an e-mail asking what was happening with The Facez! As if I hadn't been posting stuff, like the live dates, and other trivia on here. This blog is more to do with Decent Pie and The Maniac than any other extra curricular actvity that The Pieman or myself might be getting ourselves into, but as I had an actual request for info, and I have a couple of stoopid photos to show ya, here goes.

First off I gotta get this offa my chest. We do this gig at 'The Sands' which is a club you've never heard of near Lincoln in a li'l town called Gainsborough.... I gotta show u this picture:
Here we have a FRAMED notice for the artists attention, and below is a picture of 'the rider' in question; that is, two jugs of squash and a bottle of water. This was off the back of being told off rather haughtily by a minion for sitting at 'the wrong table' during soundcheck, and being informed that our free meal [we had driven over 100 miles to get to this gig] was now gonna cost us £3.50 a head. It's these petty little tyrants that keep life on the road so very interesting, dontya think?
After performing rather brilliantly for a smallish crowd who were being grossly overcharged for their tickets, drinks and meals, I asked to speak with the owner of the venue. You may have guessed, me being me, I had one or two issues which I felt obliged to bring to his attention. Well guess what? I couldn't speak to the guy... Why not? He was on vacation in the Caribbean!
Wonder where he gets all his money?
Actually, all wankers apart, I have to say that though I never wanted to play in any sort of tribute band, I thoroughly enjoy doing gigs with The Facez. I basically love the band members, and very much enjoy the pissed up rock 'n' roll ethos that was started by the original bunch of 'guyz that walk into a bar'. We're managing to keep it alive and well at all our shows thank you very much, and whatever happens everyone seems to leave with a big smile on their chops. We even recently played a 'roof concert' in Brum... [see the 'lone drummer' pic... although I think that's actually the bass player] We do definitely have it large on the gigs. The craick is fierce and I've never laffed so much as on a Facez night so, long may they continue!

Here's a pic of Harry decent Jr. [aged 5] Playing an axe in the shop downstairs after the roof gig... Hendrix or wot!

L&P 'the freak' xx

Ginger's Market Harbourer

Very happy indeed to report that further to my vocal gymnastics on the new [and fookin fantastic] Wildhearts album, I was invited over to assist in a Decent stylie, with the making of Ginger's latest solo project, to be titled 'Market Harbour'. [tho' I still think he should go with Harbourer, it's funnier]
The album is to be a companion record to the beautiful 'Yoni' which is currently being re-mastered, so that the pair can go out as a box set. Big Jase [Wolfsbane] was also present [and correct] and so 'the happy trio' found themselves together once again.

For yea and verily these tunes are mighty, and worth more than just the gelt in someone's pockets. They have love, passion and pride, and a dedication sadly missing from most modern popular music.

By the way people still looking for the 'Howlin'Willie' album; World Of Filth mentioned in the previous post 'Other News' from June '06 as 'the happy trio's' first collaborative effort can click the album title for the Amazon page.

"There's dirty work afoot, in fact it's a bit more than a foot!"

L&P 'the freak' xx

Otway Autopsy

Never, never let it be said that John Otway is anything other than a true entertainer, and all around good egg. It was so nice to hear the guy play, and see him do his Theremin/Two handed guitar stuff. Not to mention the old coat hanger mike-holder trick. Singing Rolf Harris' 'Two Little Boys' With an SM58 magically bobbing in front of his mouth like he was Ali Bongo had me completely destroyed, tears flowing.

I hadn't seen John for about a dozen years, not since the days of the old 'Breedon Bar', and it really was a distinct pleasure to watch him perform.
I think it's pretty safe to say that 'The Maniac' had a fantastic time playing a support slot with John. It was nice, as a band still in development, to only have to cover about 45 mins to 1 hour. It meant we could pick and choose stuff from the current repertoire, and not just play everything we know!

This is the aftermath of Jim playing drums on a gig. As you can see there is a small bag full of stick totalities, and enough raw kindling to start a forest fire. The guy is a TOTAL ANIMAL. Some say it has to do with when he played with U.F.O. but I happen to know he was just as dangerous in his own right before he ever got to play with that bunch of ROCKERS... Jimi, hurry up and buy your new kit FFS!, you doing the gigs on my little Pearl is making me SCARED!

Is it safe to say we all had a fantastic night of music, mayhem and madness? You're goddamn right we did! Those that were there will not forget in a hurry! Rico Ajao... hey man, when I last saw you, you were a babe in arms! And yet somehow, there you were at the smoker's table, looking like a young and skinny version of your dad. Jeeezus but the time flows so fast, now that we're all in 'the quickening'. Bring it on!

L&P 'the freak' xx

The Bush

On or about the 20th April, The Maniac played a secret warm-up gig at a little hostelry 'up the back of Dudley' known as The Bush. It's Dave's local, and we can often be seen in there drinking Hanson's mild with a Barley Wine in it!!!! [aka a pint of Wild]

It was nice to see Nutter there, and especially nice of Floyd to show up and donate to the cause. Jim and I were extremely grateful of the lift he gave us!

It was certainly an experience playing the Maniac material to a bunch of unsuspecting Black Country folk, who probably thought they would be hearing the usual string of boring covers. [No we don't play Mustang Fookin Sally] The reaction was varied and VERY positive.

Nige-piece and Mike [Essex] had their humour and music bones tickled at the same time, and the expression on the faces of the audience when we did our fast-normal-slooow weirdness at the tail of 'No man Is An Ireland' , was a wonder to behold.

Dave played 'Ask The Man' solo, and I actually thought I was gonna melt with that funny-tummy feeling when he started the outro section. I think that track really is one of the best things we've ever produced.

Whether or not 'The Management' proceed to offer us any more there, or whether the nature of the beast was just too confusing and scary, none of us are yet sure.
As always, we will just have to take a 'wait and see' approach. The set, and band for that matter, are still very much in development.

Another post soon.

L&P 'the freak' xx