Made Whilst Listening to The Zombies

Back with some news about the next Don't Don't My On My Doorstep, which will be assigned the number COIR 011. This is promising to be the best one since The Pains of Being Pure At Heart were over! I mean, how can you go wrong with a poster illustration contributed by the massively unpopular Alistair Fitchett, a live set by the world-renowned Pinefox, and the best half of Cosy Recordings attending to half of the DJing? Very easily, of course. But let's hope we do not.

You can understand my excitement through this short story. In 2004 I was going to a festival called Mitt Sista Liv outside Kalmar. This was in the days when a festival was still a wondrous experience, especially if it was an indiepop festival. I was still in school, mind you. One day I looked at the website and The Pines was part of the line-up! I'd only heard the odd song, but I'd fallen instantly in love with Pam Berry's voice. A few days later I checked back and... gone! Surely a mistake, I thought. Some minor digital error somewhere prevented me from seeing that name that filled me with joy and expectations. But I later found out that their appearance had been cancelled due to pregenancy. So The Pines' first visit to Sweden never happened, and still hasn't. On the next occasion I was meant to meet Pam, she went and got pregnant again. I don't really mind because I finally met her last year and her daughters are just adorable, however ill-timed.

Now, Lulu and Ava are still keeping Pam frightfully busy, so even if it's not a Pines gig proper - we're halfway there now! Joe has never been to Sweden and had no idea where Malmö was until a few weeks ago. I'm just saying, don't disappoint him. Or he might not be back! Joe has kept up the pop side of things with releases as The First Division (Joe plus Tim from The Visitors and Hope) and The Arc Lamps earlier this year. You can expect to hear songs from those projects; The Pines; his now legendary duo with Stephen Papercuts, The Foxgloves; some covers; and unheard material from his extensive library of as yet unreleased songs.

I've also made a little winter mix for Popklubb called Smile Yrself Warmer, and I'm planning to upload it later and put the link in the next mailing list post. You can still still sign up for that through our google group. Looking at the title of this post... wouldn't it be just dandy to have a t-shirt printed with 'made whilst listening to The Zombies'?

If you haven't been to a DDOMD, or if you have and didn't think it half bad, this might be a good time to come down. Cause I think it might be a neat way to tie things up before I travel down to New Zealand. There might be club nights in December and January but I'm not sure just now. Of course, I plan to pick up where I left off when I come back, or do something in Auckland, but again, you never know.