They promised us there would be no stag parties.

It was definitely one of the strangest bars I have ever been into, although I think we were both as mystified as each other. One of those places you could only experience if you were to leave these shores and travel to a relatively obscure ex Soviet bloc country. A couple of weeks ago I found myself in a Depeche Mode “tribute” bar, Tallinn’s only Depeche Mode themed bar. A weekend in Estonia crowned by this fantastic discovery. It goes without saying that neither myself nor my lovely travelling companion play in said 80’s electro/rock gods but I still felt a bit like Allan Partridge when he goes to his stalkers house and there’s that room with photos of him-self everywhere. This was our last night in Tallinn and we were feeling that maybe we had not yet seen all this city had to offer even though we’d just been to a garlic restaurant, had a drink in a Mexican bar serving Chinese food and with a Union Jack adorning it’s façade, (one of those “identity crisis” theme pubs”) and been to a gig at a warehouse where they played that awful Peter Fonda film, The Trip, on the walls. Peter is a “jock” who goes to see an “acid” doctor who ploughs the poor boy with head drugs and then the screen goes mental.
Bar DM is in a basement in the old part of the city and of course there were DM promo videos being played on a big screen that we could not escape from and it was empty when we arrived, well there was a young couple who were looking a little bongo’d and were sprawled all over a couch. The guy bore a remarkable resemblance to Bob Geldof, yes! I almost splurted my Bailey’s back out into my glass, incredible. We got our drinks and settled into a night watching the DM boys banging away at pipes in various industrial type locations, all very well until a young Henry Rollins look-alike (circa Black Flag’s Damaged era) sat across from us drinking tea with honey. A very intense looking young guy with muscles screaming at us from under his shirt, we whispered to each other that he was probably some kind of Russian mafia type who would rip our heads off very soon. Sir Bob’s girlfriend then stands up and walks over to Don Henry’s table and starts pouring his honey into a spoon and necking it, right there in front of him and she didn’t even ask, but he just stared at Dave and the boys banging away.
By now we started feeling a little bit edgy and were hoping to calm ourselves down with more Bailey’s and some beers, but no! This kid walks in with a coffee and he looks like he’s about 15 years old and he sits along from us and starts staring at our faces, the girl continues to harass the big guy’s honey and still the DM boys bang away at big empty oil drums. After we escape we see the wee guy standing outside a strip bar looking shifty and incredibly we see him join the queue for his plane to Hamburg at the airport the next day, “is he old enough to travel on a plane on his own d’you think?” I ask.

Lee

Together alone

Thanks to everyone who came to see the Peel show, I thought the audience were totally lovely. My evening was made a bit stranger when one of my teachers from university turned up to see us. That hasn't happened before. He's quite a hip fellow though, taught me Experimental Prose Fiction, which made me think he probably wouldn't like us, we're not avant garde enough.
There was special edition of Hometruths on Radio 4 about John Peel with interviews with his family which was really lovely. You can still hear it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hometruths/


No dogs have tried to bite/make friends with me. I've left my job at the pub but I haven't exactly told them yet. It's been a bit of a downer since coming back from Sweden because it was such a big deal being there. And it never rains there. It rained for about ten hours yesterday and I have discovered the bottom of my favourite shoes are maybe made of cardboard under the disintegrating plastic bit.

There was a Lukas Moodyson double bill on at the cinema on Sunday. That means there were a few hundred people looking through their dripping windows with regret and failed good intentions. Not me, I made it. I half expected some of the band to turn up to continue our Swedish fanclub, but only Tracyanne was there and she had to leave halfway through so I watched Together alone. Tracyanne says I look an awful lot like the miserable girl in that film.



Carey xx

At The B. B. C.

There is a new BBC Music show starting on Friday 4th November on BBC2 Scotland (i guess if you live in England, Northern Ireland or Wales, you'll be able to see it if you have Cable/sky) and running for six weeks. We were filming Suspended From Class last week for the show. It was a fun day, our only previous television appearances have been live Spanish television arts shows, so its nice to be doing something for UK TV.
Filming was done in two different locations, firstly in a warehouse down near Yorkhill, where all the live shots were filmed, and then we moved up to the Old Jail House in Bridgeton, which is, you guessed it, an old Jail House that has been converted/refurbished and is used for artist studios/band rehearsal space/gigs and warehouse parties. Indeed, Hip young gunslingers Frank Ferguson started off playing in there.
Unfortunately, due to heavy rainfall the previous night, the prison was somewhat flooded during our visit, and sensible boots were the order of the day. It was a bit like Porridge after a typhoon. If you listened carefully you could hear the voice of Fulton McKay giving it, "Get that mopped up at once Fletcher"
Anyway, we'll let you know when the programme with suspended from class is going to be aired.

Gav

Who's afraid of the big dog ?

I just made a complete arse of myslef while walking home from work to eat lunch. I sort of had an argument with a dog. I was in this sort of creepy derilict area of the south side when from nowhere it came running towrds me. Why do they always look like they want to bite me and make me cry? Anyway I sort of swung my bag at it and shouted a bit until it ran away. If anyone from the high risers was looking out I bet they had me down as a mentalist. Actually, in retrospect I think maybe the dog just wanted to be friends.
Anyway I think I need to go and eat a whole Kirriemuir ginger cake now to make me feel better. I'm still shaking. No joke.
Thank you once again for letting me sound off.
Tracyanne x

The Great John Peel

Tonight we were proud to play a small part in one of the many nationwide tributes to this warm, charming, funny, sometimes bumbling, always sharp-witted, self-effacing man, without whose (surprising) support we'd probably not have made it this far.

Thanks to everyone who showed up at King Tut's. And you were there too Lee - a copy of I love My Jean was put on the stage. You got a good cheer. I hope nobody was too bothered by the shortness of the set-we just wanted to take part in any way we could, and tonight wasn't about us. It was a good laugh.

We were lucky to meet and play for John on several occasions, and were honoured to be invited to his home to play at his 65th birthday. We had no idea that would be the last we'd ever see of him.

The first time we went to Peel Acres to play, we were shit-scared and tongue-tied. He figured we were either very rude or very shy. Luckily for us he gave us the benefit of the doubt and we were asked back four more times. John and his fantastic wife Sheila fed and entertained us every time, even going as far as cooking haggis for the Burns Night special show we did.

I hope Sheila and her family are well, and that everything that's been going on round the country brings them joy. I'm sure she's acutely aware of just how much everyone loved her husband, and still does. We will never forget him.

To John Peel: the only man in the world with the balls to play us, then follow it up with a song by Scrotum Grinder....

K

seven eleven in Stockholm

Well, it's nearly the end of our acquaintance with Stockholm. The album has been recorded and we're all over the moon with how it's turned out. It's still to be mixed right enough, but that's ok because we get to come back to Sweden to do so, and we get to meet Jari our producer again. He's the best!
Can't remember where we're mixing exactly, but I know it's far down south near the border with Denmark. Shame it's not Stockholm because I really love this place.
It's my last night here and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I've spent the day taking photos of my friend Petra in a vintage clothes shop. Actually, I didn't really take them, I just told the photographer what to do. We managed to take over the whole place in the process. The lady was very nice and she made us coffee and let us try the clothes on. Fun, fun, fun. After all the commotion we caused I just hope we can use one of the pictures for a single or the album cover.
Back to tonight. What will I do? I don't want you to think I'm Billy no mates here. I do have friends here, in fact I have some very good friends here but they're busy and I feel like being alone to reflect over the past two weeks anyway. I was going to get carried away and say that they were the best two weeks of my life there but I shouldn't really, that will only do a disservice to other brilliant times. I'm sounding very sentimental eh? I do feel quite emotional actually and I probably will have a little cry later while wandering around listening to The Cocteau Twins Peel Sessions and pretending to be local for one last time.
Right, I think you get the picture. We've all had a great time and I personally have had a bloody great time. I don't want to get on the plane tomorrow but I will because I know once I get back to Glasgow I'll be happy in a way. Plus, we've got a record to start promoting.
Thanks for letting me rabbit...
Tracyanne

My Last Day !

Well here we are, my last day in Sweden with the band recording the new album. Unfortunately, I have to go home a couple of days early because of work. We're almost done here, but I'm sad I'm going to miss the day we add the strings. We met up with the string arranger last night to hear his ideas and they sounded great, even though he was playing them on a small casio keyboard thingy.

Anyway, we've all had a great time, working long hours and partying hard into the night. Come to think about it, I need to get back to work for a rest (well at least to give my liver a rest !).

Since Gav and Carey last blogged, we've moved from the big studio in the south of Stockholm to a smaller studio in the centre to do overdubs. Apparently our producer Jari has an accordian player coming later today to add something in. Big Gav did suggest getting Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham over but maybe not !

Ok. Thats me away to pack.

Nige