Solfest

Solfest 2006 was definitely one of the most highlights of last year, and this was one we'd been looking forward to. Although it was supposed to have been booked ages ago, it fell through and due to some last minute rearrangement, they'd managed to find us a slot early on Sunday evening.

We aim to set off at 11am but news drops in that our Datarock Remix may be used in the latest FIFA 08 console game, and they need track separates uploaded asap. By 2pm, we've started the 7 hour trek and by 3.30pm, we're back home again after Paul realised he's left his USB dongle for Logic at home. Bustling through the rush hour bank holiday traffic, we roll in to the Solfest at midnight and after rolling around in the dark trying to put up the tents, it would be rude to our Cumbrian hosts to crash for the night, so it turns into a party night. By Saturday afternoon (around 3pm), we're feeling fully partied out after having met plenty of old and new friends and we retire to vans/tents for a few hours.

Gutted. We wake to find that we've missed Chumbawumba's set, but apparently they didn't even do that flippin song.


Saturday evening is more chilled as we aim to sober up by Sunday night. A fire cunningly set up in a washing machine drum is one of festival life's simple pleasures, as is a caravan with all appropriate tea-making facilities (including the littlest tea-maid you've ever seen). A little wander about the festival reveals a few wonderfully random sights.

As we count the hours down to Sunday's 8pm kick-off, we're worried. By 7:30pm, it's still fully light outside and the dance tent is empty. But it's a humbling experience that so many pitched up at 8pm just to see us. Thankyou all so much. Special thanks to Ben&Marianne for getting us there, Digitalis for partying and a kickass set, Nate&Jenny for their love n generosity, everyone who stopped us to say how much they were looking forward to seeing us after seeing us last year/at Brickyard and especially Chris for the shoes after an unfortunate off-road accident.

Click on the pic below, and then 'Download Photo' to get an extra large version which you can zoom in on to see if you can spot yourself in the crowd.


More Photos:

Solfest

Change of Plans

Yesterday, we received a short message from our management suggesting a switch to a non-exclusive agreement and how that resources were not available to push us as much as we want them to.

Whilst essentially, nothing has changed, we're facing the reality that management is back in our own hands. Having some certainty and control of our own fate is good, but it was a nice honeymoon period over the past 6 months of the management agreement to have the responsibility of success/failure lie with somebody else. It's coming back to me now - the feeling of being the one to blame if it goes wrong, and that's a feeling of being energised to make sure it doesn't. In this industry, you work as many hours as you need to until you deserve success, then do ten times that.

Amongst some heavy writing sessions, our own gameplan is still being forumulated, but these are uncertain times. New tunes coming very soon.

Slackers Convention, Concorde2, Brighton

We first got in touch with these guys about 3 years ago about doing a show with them - the finest and brightest party crew in all of Brighton at the venue with the best soundsystem we've had the pleasure of playing through. (The Foo Fighters did a massive promotional Radio One feature at the venue just the day before - we were probably rolling around in Dave Grohl's/Chris Moyles' sweat at some point)

Finally though, they'd got round to booking us ("we're called 'Slackers' for a reason", they kept telling us) for their fifth birthday party and we were dead excited. We'd played here a few times and were really looking forward to playing to a rammed crowd.



In absolutely baking conditions, we hit it as hard as we could - there was one of those golden moments in the main build-up of 'This Town' to see the entire room (maybe 400 people) pogo-ing simultaneously.. that'll be one to remember definitely.

The saving grace of the small and stuffy single-room backstage area, there was a cold shower available which we made good use of, but then there's only so long you can spend being naked in a club before having to find other methods of keeping cool.



More photos of the night to come soon in a new gallery section..

Slackers Convention

Havana Bar, Portsmouth

We came to Havana Bar a while back, only to head to a different venue due to being pipped to the post by some dodgy-looking covers band. No such luck this time.


Actually once you get past the living room-style decor and the lack of pumping soundsystem it wasn't too bad, at least we find another pocketful of friendly people in the heart of Portsmouth up for a party.

Havana Bar, Portsmouth

Secret Garden Party

A surreal experience for us: a summer festival where the weather stayed (mostly) dry. A huge thanks to the mighty Planet Angel crew who turned up to support us during our daylight set (Happy birthday Rob! Big four-zero.. sheesh!).



A Subsource first: getting onto stage in fancy dress.. Some guy found me later and said he caught the show because he saw Optimus Prime on stage, and he'd taken a piss in the urinals next to Optimus Prime the night before, who speaking about himself in the 3rd person. ("Uhhh... yeah... Optimus Prime needed that so bad..")


The rest of the festival rolled out nicely.. new friends and lots of beautiful people. Can't remember how many times we heard, "Oh, I caught your set by accident.. it was great. But why didn't they put you on later?". We'll get it next year Gadget, next year. (Fingers crossed)