2004
2004 promised a new start for The Shorties. We had finally finished and released the last album with any Ravi involvement,
and were wrapping up the last Ravi related project, our documentary,
and on a personal level, my wife and I were also in the middle of moving out of London to build a new life in Wellingborough.
Dan and I worked a couple of sessions on the documentary in January, before turning our attention to our next gig.
We had booked in our first non-wedding gig in over 2 years, to take place on
March 15th at the Spot, Covent Garden,
Rehearsals started in January (at one point there was talk of
Saul being involved and singing the loving Spoonful's 'Younger Generation' but this came to nothing) and continued through February and March.
We overcame the potential disaster of Dan leaving my guitar on a train one morning
(luckily he got it back and the event ended up as a lyric in a song)
and before we knew it March 15th was almost upon us. Since our last non-wedding gig, Ravi had left the band, Stuart had
moved to Wales and Liam had decided to give up gigging and focus
on songwriting.
Only an idiot would deny the importance of these 3 members to the
band, and some had expressed doubts as to whether we could
maintain the same level of quality without them.
I love The Shorties and I had never bought into the theory that
any 1 member was irreplaceable, but to have 3 core members gone,
and 3 new members in was something that had to be a challenge.
I needn't have fretted; Chris, Liam S and Matt fitted into The
Shorties' setup like a glove. Liam S and Chris got some amazing
percussion parts going, and Matt showed himself to be a flexible
and versatile musician, moving easily from keyboards to bass to
percussion as required.
Above: L to R: New Liam, Chris, Matt and Aiden start a groove thang
Right: Dan enjoys his lead singer rol, while Aiden and Matt provide backing
Below: Liam strums his own 'Che Guavara' while Matt provides the haunting keyboard lick
The rehearsals were going fantastically, the spirit and
confidence were amazing, the tickets were selling like hot cakes and
then DISASTER.
I had thought the worst thing about this thing was that I was struggling to throw off a cold
and still had a sore throat, but just as the sore throat finally cleared in the nick of time...
2 days before the gig, Dan injured his finger while taking off
his trousers!! I would love to tell you that it was in a drug
crazed drunken stupor, but he was sober and lucid. He was also in
complete agony, and went to casualty, where he was diagnosed with
'Mallet Finger'. He would not be able to play the guitar again for
over a month!
We had a rehearsal scheduled for the day before the gig and we
met in an atmosphere of dispondency. Should we cancel the gig??
The venue would be furious and we'd be blacklisted. But there was so
much at stake. Fans were wondering if we could make it with
the loss of 3 core members. To go out and play a crap gig would
be worse than no gig.
So we set to work with me replacing Dan on guitar on some songs,
and Dan taking my percussion or keyboard parts. Surprisngly it
sounded good. In some songs there was even improvement, as Dan's
keyboard playing is a lot better than mine. But several songs I
was not good enough to do the guitar on...what could we do?
We rang Liam. He'd written them so he could play them with very
little rehearsal. To our delight he agreed to help out, but
couldn't make the rehearsal. He would join us on the night and run
through the songs before the gig.
With these arrangements in place, we could do 8 of the 9 songs to
the same standard as before....we decided the show must go on!
The following night we met at The Spot and had a quick run
through with Liam. He agreed to play his solo song 'George W Bush'
to make up the ninth song and his talent is such that the songs
came back to him very quickly. We were ready to go.
I have to admit I was very nervous as we took the stage. When
Liam and Dan were in the band together, I had only a limited
role on guitar. For this gig I was doing more guitar work anyway,
and now, with Dan's injury, I was anchoring many of the songs on
guitar. Despite a really appreciative crowd, I didn't really
relax till about two-thirds of the way through.
Dan relished being the front man for a change. Freed from guitar
duties, he took on my role, leaping into the crowd during 'Fish',
and, for Che Guevara, really hamming it up in a faux gangsta rap
style.
As we had no new album to promote, we performed songs from every
era of our 13 year history. With Liam having left there is now a
more manageable amount of new material; while there are plenty of
new songs being written, we also are going to have space at gigs to
revisit some of our favourite songs that we've never done live.
The setlist was:
Maggie and Hopey (brand new song)
On The Balcony (from Suitcase)
I'm Your Calvin Klein (from Music For Mooks)
Where's My Remote Control? (new song, debuted at Aiden's
wedding)
The Fish and The Tambourine (from Suitcase)
Consume (new song, debuted at Aiden's wedding)
George W Bush (from Buff My Lizard)
Papa Gene's Blues (Monkees cover, from Misfits,Saddos and
Freaks:- "Play Mallet Finger" was my cry as Dan did a harmonica solo!),
Che Guavara and Me (from Mountain Therapy)
LONGEVITY PREMIERE " A TRIUMPH" 
L to R: Aiden, Mike, Liam, Dan, Matt
The Shorties DVD 'Longevity' was officially launched on April 27th with a
unique screening at London's 'Savoy Tup' . The specially selected guestlist
was made up of Shorties (past and present) as well as fanclub members, friends and guests of the band.
Acclaimed film and
documentary director Shane O' Sullivan who has lately been working with
Werner Herzog and Takeshi Kitano, took the time to attend and reminisce
about working with the Shorties early in his career.
The worst thunder storm in London for several years meant most guests
arrived drenched to the skin. Some took shelter to see out the storm, so the
screening was delayed for 20 minutes.
At 7.20 the crowd took their seats, and Aiden said a few words of
introduction. An attempt to dim the lights ended in disaster as a board was
knocked over, smashing several glasses, but thankfully it was not a bad
omen.
The DVD runs for 78 minutes, so an interval was scheduled for the halfway
point, to allow people to get more drinks, and chat. The screening was
punctuated by bursts of uproarious laughter, in all the right places, and
feet were seen tapping over some of the musical clips. At the end of the
screening, a round of spontaneous loud applause burst
forth. The verdict was that the documentary was a success, entertaining and
informative. The two and a half years hard work had not been in vain
At the end of the evening the 5 Shorties present on the night; Mike, Liam,
Matthew, Aiden and Dan, posed for a photo behind the bar.
After very healthy pre-sales of the documentary, the DVD is now on sale at it's regular price of $19.99.
Saul's Wedding Gig
On Sat June 5th, Dan Chris, Saul and I played an acoustic set at Saul's wedding in Norwich, Norfolk. The wedding
itself was lovely, and in the afternoon the weather was hot but not
uncomfortably so. We made the decision, therefore, to play outside. Things ran
a little late,however, and by the time we took to the stage it was quite
cold so quite a lot of people decided to stay indoors
Before we took to the stage we had technical problems with one amp, and then
once
we actually started the keyboard refused to work, which is such a shame
as it really enhanced the songs it was featured on. We had to have an
on-stage discussion about how to play those songs, which of course means you
lose momentum and the audience get distracted. They sounded 'fine' without
the keyboard but they had sounded beautiful with it, so it was a real shame
after all the hard work.
The audience were primarily middle-aged and they didn't particularly seem in
the right frame of mind (the bar had not been open long so unlike most
weddings they weren't all merry). Even the fact that the groom was involved
didn't seem to sway them. There was an amazing caelich band after us, and
they too received far less than the response I felt they deserved so I don't
think it was just us. Perhaps wedding guests can only be
united by traditional wedding cheesy disco or rock n roll numbers, which
unite such a diverse crowd. presented with less mainstream music like The
Shorties or the caleich band, they don't dig it as much ....
I think when I'm playing the guitar a lot I get more nervous and am less
able to do the banter, but the banter is needed to keep the audience on
board, so that's something I need to address. Also we started to aplogise,
or make self-deprecating remarks at times, and Ravi, for all his faults, was
very wise when he said "Never apologise. Every note is valid at the time it
is played" When you start to put yourself down, the audience can begin to
buy into the notion that you aren't any good, especially when they haven't
heard you play, and I know that we ARE good.
So I found it quite a frustrating experience. One chap came up afterwards
and said how much he'd enjoyed it, and how groovy the lyrics were, which was
nice, but I felt that something so special as Saul's wedding deserved a
better scenario. I wanted a trimphant reception for Saul on
his wedding, and sadly we didn't get it.
SetlistGeorge W Bush
On the Balcony
Where's My Remote Control?
Consume
Calvin Klein
Maggie and Hopie
Fish And The Tambourine
Papa Genes Blues
Darling Be Home Soon
Mama Don't Allow: Click here for video of 'Mama Don't Allow'
Encore: George W Bush Pt 2
Photos:
Top Left: Left to right: Chris, Saul, Aiden and Dan liase between songs
Top Right: Aiden and Saul
Above Left: Mike Penfold, Saul's father, joked with the crowd throughout his guest appearance (on 'Papa Gene's Blues' and 'Mama Don't Allow' ) Chris appreciates the gag
Above Right: Saul and Aiden
Recording continues on 'Osbert Scoon'
Our fifth studio album, 'Osbert Scoon', is
due for release in late 2005. The album, as currently planned, will comprise
13 or 14 tracks
Where's My Remote Control? (Auty)
Consume (A Simington)
Bob Dylan (Auty)
Coffee 9AM (Auty)
Maggie and Hopie (Auty)
The Independent People's Revolutionary Office (L Simington / Auty)
Don't Let The Grass Grow (A Simington)
Return To Skiffle Rock (Auty)
Autumn Crows (Auty)
Don't Throw Away My Old Leopard's Head (L.Simington)
Alfie's Theme (Penfold)
Armies Of Terror (L.Simington / Auty)
He Plays The Lottery (A Simington /L Simington)
Another track, Migration Situation (Auty), is being considered as well.
Of course this track listing is subject to change if better tracks are
written and recorded in the meantime.
On Sunday 11th July, Saul Dan and I headed up to Backstreet Studios to lay
down the basic track for 'Where's My Remote Control?'. It went
remarkably well, and despite the fact that Saul only drums with us
occasionally, he turned in a stirling performance. Dan and I were
able to add some backing vocals and the song is really beginning to
take shape. 
August 1st, meanwhile, saw the return to The Shorties of original member, Mike Ulrich. Yes he was there on Day 1 and even since his semi-retirement in the mid 90s,
he's helped us out in so many ways. Now he's back where he belongs, at the
heart of the Shorty Blackwells. I speak, of course, of Mike Ulrich. On August 1st he joined Dan and I at Backstreet Studios and
added his keyboards to 'Bob Dylan' and 'Where's My Remote Control?'. Mike
seemed a tad nervous after such a long absence but soon got into the groove
and produced some fantastic sounds that really enhanced the songs. The
following Sunday, August 8th, he added overdubs to 'Consume', and then he,
Dan and I started working out arrangements for 3 songs for our October 29th gig: 'You
Stop Time For Me', 'Miss Williams' Guitar' and 'On the Balcony'. 
'
We are scheduled to go back into the studio on December 12th for our first 8 hour recording session in 3 years. The original way we recorded was to focus on getting a
complete song done in the 8 hour session. The problem with this was that if
the basic backing track took a long time, then those who were only involved
in overdubs, sat round for hours doing nothing only to be called into action
with only half an hour left.
We switched, therefore, to four hour recording sessions (the same length as
our rehearsals), focussing on simply recording a backing track in this time.
The problem with this is that it takes 1.5 hours to set the equipment up and
it just seemed a waste to lose almost half the session that way. To compound
the problem, it is very difficult finding days when people can meet up
now we are all married / engaged / living in sin (That's you Dan!), and it
just seems a waste, doubling the number of days we used on recording, as that
took away from being able to rehearse / gig and also meant that preparing an
album took absolutely ages.
So now we have found a 'third way'. We will only have those involved in
recording the backing tracks present (so no-one is simply sat waiting
around), those being the drummer, bassist and rhythm guitarist on the
particular track. We will attempt to get 2 or 3 backing tracks done in one
session. We hope, therefore, to be able to finish all the 'Osbert Scoon'
backing tracks in 3 recording days.
****
Photos Above: Top left: Mike at the overdubbing session 1/8/04
Top Right: Dan explains the chord sequence to Mike 1/8/04
Above left: Aiden works out the chords 1/8/04
Above Right: Dan & Mike 8/8/04
'Red Room' Gig Report
Our gig of 29/10/04 as it may have been reviewed by Rolling Stone
The club is a smoky dive much like any other, and they've been gigging as a
band for nearly 13 years, but today in the 'Red Room' in
the heart of London there's no sign of a mood of world weariness or cynicism
among the members of The Shorty Blackwells, instead the atmosphere is
relaxed and jocular. As Aiden, the elder of the Simington brothers, reveals
his chosen outfit for the evening Liam playfully teases him about wearing a
pregnant hippy's papoose. Chris Kiely , the drummer, thows out deadpan
remarks as if they were going out of fashion, and the overall impression is
of a group of friends meeting for a pint, rather than a band attempting to
make a comeback of sorts.
Three years ago big things were being talked of for the Blackwells. They had
Ravi Lowbeer, one of the UK's hottest drummers on board, and had finally
disciplined their incredible creative energy and harnassed it into songs of
incredible beauty and power. There seemed to be a limitless flow of tunes
that retained the Shorties long acknowledged talent for pushing boundaries
and challenging notions, but were also catchy, memorable and accessible.
There was talk of label interest, concerts were selling out and health and
safety regualtions being breached as more and more people crammed in to see
the new hot ticket. Then in the spring of 2002 it all fell apart. First
Lowbeer left suddenly, with no real explanation offered. Then rumours
surfaced that the Simington brothers, members since day one, had seriously
fallen out. Liam was taking a back seat, angry at the loss of Lowbeer, the
gossip mongers alleged. Though there may not be much truth to these rumours
(the younger Simington got married and had to devote more time to family
life and less to the band, and Aiden was his best man at the wedding held
after Lowbeer's departure) the band did seem to lose direction, and for
over 2 years made only 2 public appearances, both of these to play at
weddings.
In 2003 a new CD surfaced but, excellent though it was, Lowbeer's shadow
loomed large over the project, with only 3 songs recorded after his
departure. The post Lowbeer tracks were a mixed bag. Aiden's 'All Muddled
Up' was a straight unchallenging rock n roll number with Chris Kiely on
drums (indeed it was straight rock n roll that dominated the set at Aiden's
wedding; it seemed as though Aiden and Stuart were leading the band down a
safe path to try and regain some confidence). Saul's 'England's New Chains'
was a terrific Shorties cut but had the avowedly part-time Shorty Saul at
the kit, and The Saddest Lights was virtually an Auty solo number with synth
drums and only backing vocals from the rest of the band. While being an
excellent listen the album gave no real clue as to how, or if, the band
could progress post Lowbeer.
In late 2003 the band seemed finally to pull itself out of mourning. Chris
Kiely joined permanently as the regular touring/recording drummer, Stuart
McIlroy left to return to Wales and was replaced by one of the founding
Shorties, Mike Ulrich, and Liam and Aiden were publicly reconciled. A new
bassist Matthew Stevens came on board and the confidence seemed to gradually
be coming back to the group. The band announced their first public gig in
over 2 years for March 2004. They went for the safety of an acoustic show,
seemingly still fearing the Ravi comparision were they to return
electrically, but those in attendance reported that although the band seemed
nervous and lacking their freeform banter, the show was a marked return to
form. The new material being performed was, notably, uniformly excellent,
by all accounts.
Launching a new DVD, 'Longevity' in April covering the history of the band,
and featuring a warts and all portrait, seems finally to have inspired the
band to make a fresh start and shake of the last of the old shackles. Still
it was something of a surprise when the band announced their electric return
would be made in Oct 2004. The wedding gigs had not been conspicuous
successes, with perhaps an over-reliance on rock n roll and Monkees covers.
Could they possibly return to the glory days or would we be treated to the
depressing sight of a band flogging a dead horse, staying well after their
star had waned
"Mike has brought so much to the group" Chris tells me just before the sound
check. "He can hear a song better than anyone I know, and he is also so
determined that we will get things right. We perhaps had lost the ability to
demand the very best from ourselves, but Mike has brought that right back."
"We're really enjoying playing as a group" confides Auty "There are none of
the stresses or arguments that there were 3 years ago. And now everyone has
finally shed the past, we feel we really have something great going"
"We were worried" adds Aiden "that it would sound like something was
missing, with Ravi and Stuart gone. The fear was we'd sound like a pub rock
act. I think that's why we avoided an electric return for so long. But as
soon as we started rehearsals we knew we'd been worrying over nothing. We
should have done this months ago"
"Though we may not have been ready then" interjects Auty "for me the timing
has worked perfectly. "
"Dan's new songs will blow your mind" says Aiden, still the main
cheerleader for the band. "We've had time to pick the very best of his stuff
and it's amazing. And after a 3 year break Liam has started composing again,
so it's all coming back together. When Ravi left there were so many projects
half done, where he was involved. The album and the documentary took so long
to finish and while we were working on them we couldn't move forward and
forget the past. As soon as we got them out of the way it was like a huge
weight was lifted from our shoulders"
As the venue began to fill up I kept watching for signs of the nerves that
were reported at the March gig, but there was just more laughter and banter.
Here was a band truly at peace with itself, but could they deliver on the
musical front.
Boldly they kicked things off with a brand new song 'The Independent
People's Revolutionary Office'. Liam had actually written the lyrics in
early 2002 but when Ravi left he put down his writing pen and the song was
never finished. When his enthusiasm returned he pitched the lyrics to the
band and Auty came up with the perfect tune for them. It's a great opener,
fast paced, intriguing and joyous. The band look like they believe in
themselves and already, halfway into the first song, we, the audience, do
too. As the final chord sounds, a great cheer erupts and lead singer Aiden
is off and wise cracking and it's just like the old days. in fact it's
better than the old days. It's new and exciting and it's fun.
Next up is
'Consume'. One of Aiden's originals, they've been woodshedding this since
Aiden's wedding in June 03 and it's sounding great. From the same era comes
'Where's My Remote Control?'. Again the song has really benefited from
Mike's keyboard parts and the crowd are beginning to sway in their seats as
this one cuts loose at the end.
A trip back in time (noticeably to the
pre-Ravi era) with 'You Stop Time For Me' is next and though the song is no
classic, they have the midas touch tonight. The mix is great and the sound
is crisp, never cloying and the tune rises beyond it's worth and sounds
better than it ever did on record. The second brand new tune of the evening
is 'Don't Let the Grass Grow'. Dripping with Eastern promise, Aiden's tune
is lifted by Mike's sitar sound and is definitely one to watch. By now the
banter is flying back and forth between the members. One particularly poor
joke from Aiden, and Auty deadpans "I quit" and removes his guitar. The
audience join in and the whole room seems to have attained a state of
blissful relaxation and love, the perfect atmosphere for great music.
'Forecourt Loving' is an unreleased gem from the Ravi era (hardcore Shorties
fans have heard demos and rehearsals on a bonus disc coupled with 'Buff My
Lizard'). The Shorties own 'Smile', it originally featured incredible
percussion dualling between Liam and Ravi which those who saw it live
described as The Shorties finest hour. That the Shorties felt able to dust
it off, and approach it in a new way, says much about their new found
confidence. It wasn't, couldn't be, as amazing as the myth associated with
the original. But the reality of the new version was damn good, dropping to
nothing halfway through and then building to a tremendous crescendo leaving
the audience roaring their approval.
The third brand new cut was also Liam's
first brand new composition post Ravi, so there was a lot riding on it.
'Don't Throw Away My Old Leopard's Head' was a triumph. Liam's lyrics are
always a delight of wit and invention and this was no exception. His vocals
were reminiscent of dusky delta blues singers of the early 20s and when
Aiden launched in with an Irish whistle solo you knew, as if there had ever
been any doubt, that the Shorties were well and truly back.
'On the Balcony'
was the only wrong step of the evening. The band played this very early
number (it was written in 95, recorded in 98) as well as I have ever heard
them do it. But it was clearly the wrong song at the wrong time. Alone among
the set it was neither upbeat nor funny. A straight ballad came like a
bucket of ice water to the party atmosphere and was greeted accordingly.
But the new-found confidence of the Blackwells must be the real deal as it
didn't affect them one jot. They launched into their only cover of the
night, the Jayhawks' 'Miss Williams' Guitar', with gusto and their inventive
arrangement (dropping to single strums at the start of each chorus) was
inspired. Ulrich and Auty took solos and the vibe was instantly back.
Their
finale was the third of their songs they've been working up since Aiden's
Wedding, 'Bob Dylan', but it was almost unrecognizable from the rough
prototype of those dark days. Tight, punchy and with gorgeous backing vocals
it is now the prototype perfect pop song. Ulrich's sci-fi moogesque solo at
the end was the icing on an already gorgeous cake and the elder Simington
brother ventured into the crowd to shake his tambourine and bury who knew
how many demons.
They thanked and rethanked the audience, for keeping faith in them perhaps,
or just for sharing such a special evening. You knew it meant so much to
them. Spread the word..The Shorties are back.
Thanks to Lucy Birks and Annette Cahill for the photos. More photos can be seen at
http://www.shortyblackwells.gfoto.com/