Dear Emily Eavis, perhaps you'd like The Pencil Sharks to perform (Don't Be) Eating PVA Glue at Glasto 2013...
Sometimes singing is hard, sometimes tough even the simplest task as talking to someone just won't happen...(Don't Be) Eating PVA Glue
Monday 27 February 2012
Monday 20 February 2012
This lift will take you up but it can't buy class
Dear Emily Eavis, perhaps you'd like The Pencil Sharks to perform This lift will take you up but it can't buy class at Glasto 2013...
We were swiftly moved from the bar the other day after a 'celeb' came in, I mean I had my only suit on and purple sparkly shoes, was that not enough effort....oh well...This lift will take you up but it can't buy class
We were swiftly moved from the bar the other day after a 'celeb' came in, I mean I had my only suit on and purple sparkly shoes, was that not enough effort....oh well...This lift will take you up but it can't buy class
Saturday 18 February 2012
The Pencil Sharks get talked to by The Vibe Detectvie
Taken from an interview with The Vibe Detective 2011
The Pencil Sharks [have] a "burning desire to play Glastonbury 2013". In pursuit of this aim he has developed a unique marketing strategy which involves appealing directly to Emily Eavis, and recording a song a week with the hope that he can "cobble 10 good ones for a Glastonbury set".
The Pencil Sharks' songs to date are imaginative both lyrically and instrumentally, and to my mind Ms. Eavis would be ill advised to ignore the opportunity to book them.
I had to swim like Jacques Cousteau on speed, but I managed to catch up with The Pencil Shark(s) and put some questions to him:
Are you able to reveal your true identity, the man behind The Pencil Sharks?
Hmm...he ponders (what am I The Game or something, referring to myself in the third person) I wasn’t aware that I had created even a hint of mystery...who is the man behind TPS but seems as fate has dealt that hand I’ll keep it that way for a bit...I am a man, I’m in my twenties and that’s all you’re getting but I’ll be sure to put a call into Corey Taylor to see who makes Slipknot’s masks so i can keep myself hidden for a bit longer
Have you been a part of other bands or musical projects?
Yes, but then answering this would reveal who I am...you’re sneaky Vibe Detective...SnEakY.... I will say though that I started as a guitarist in Honeymoon Super Stimulator (I’m pretty sure nothing on the internet exists of HSS but it’s still one of my fav band names of all time so worth a mention!) I then played drums but Im not telling you who for as one Google search will reveal my identity...oh the horror!
You aim to write and record one song a week as part of your campaign – I make that over 80 songs before Glastonbury 2013. Is the well of your creativity that deep?
Who knows? I hope so, I’ll look like a bit of a dick otherwise! I’m sure there will be some songs that I write that turn out to be utter crap but I initially set out to force myself into finishing songs, not just writing a chorus or a catchy riff and then being lazy and doing nothing about it. It’s a bit of a silly number of songs, at present I’m happily catching time here and there and sitting down with the guitar and computer and working towards my Sunday deadline but the time available changes dramatically week to week already I’ve had to cram a full song from inception to recording in about an hour or so frantically listening to drum tracks and messing about with lyrics...this is not advisable....
Do you plan to release some of the songs in album form?
Man, that would be awesome wouldn’t it! A 4 heavy weight vinyl box set....mmm tasty! If I did I’d like it to be tactile, not just a download or CD but a big extravaganza. Laura Marling did a wicked box set of her first album with a lyric book and posters and even a board game...that’s the future, songs easily get lost in the mass hysteria of my iTunes, how are you suppose to remember that once you liked that song from that band who split up and only released one single when you’ve got thousands of other tracks vying for your mp3 based attention. People need something to hold, something to look at and also more time away from the computer, I do almost everything through my Mac so a break from the screen to listen to vinyl/tape/CD is good...read the sleeve notes!
Having said that, without the rise of the mp3 I would be having to cut a vinyl every week and forcibly harrass strangers into taking them outside Camden Tube steadily becoming more famous than the Jesus guy or the woman with all the books in the shopping trolly
Do you have any non-Glastonbury live performances planned?
Not as yet, I need to spend some time working out the hell to play these live if iI was on my lonesome... I‘ve seen Scrappy from Milk Kan playing with some form of backing track - but not in an X-Factor kinda way - so perhaps I’ll look at that, although I did once get trapped at an open mic where this guy was playing to a backing track, he only did three songs - song one to a half full basement - song two, people slowly moving upstairs and by the time he was half way through his last song even the soundguy had left, it was crazy, just me and a couple of mates stayed the distance with our claps echoing around the basement. I felt a bit sorry for him but hey, GarageBand can give even the most reclusive of people a full sounding band
It’s early stages I know, but have you had any response from Ms. Eavis yet? Or from anyone else?
She’s tweeted but only to say that it’s a bit early to be thinking about Glasto 2013, which is fair enough it’s ages away! Whether she’s had a listen I can neither confirm nor deny!
Do you have any other tactics to enact regarding drawing her attention?
What apart from cycling around the West Country with TPS songs booming out of a Ghetto Blaster gaffa taped to my bike....not as yet
One man on his own might look a bit lost on the Glasto main stage. Will you outdo Beyonce solely with the force of your music?
By the power of Greyskull! I haven’t really thought about any live performances as yet although I have always wanted to play a gig in a mirrored box but Battles did that in one of their music vids so I guess that’s out the window now? In previous musical incarnations I have played Halloween gigs alongside zombies and ghosts, had a dancetroup take over half of Peter Parkers Rock n Roll Club and I always wanted to make my hi-hat look like the SMASH robots..hmm ...Something to rival The Flaming Lips would be epic, or pull out something akin to Rosie riding the RocknRoll train like AC/DC....doesn’t the guy who does the voices of Zippy and Bungle now do pyrotechnics? Maybe he’ll be my first call or maybe I’ll just go all Donovan and get me a purple velvet skin tight T-shirt and play the whole gig sat down!!?
Would you consider expanding your personnel if any apt and able musicians presented themselves to you?
For sure, already got some mates in mind to form a huge band, it could be Gasto you’ve got to try and make it epic!
Bedfordshire and Islington feature in your songs – which is your ‘manor’?
Clapton, East London, E5, love it!
I could be wrong but I seem to detect the influence of Captain Beefheart in your songs. Are you the bastard offspring of the late Don Van Vliet? Or perhaps you have the voice of Mark E. Smith whispering in your ear?
Alas, no, my father isn’t Beefheart! I’ve given Trout Mask Replica many listens but that’s the only album I have of his...maybe I should invest in some more... there are a lot of influences swirling especially Seth ov Dufus and the whole NY Anti-Folk scene. I remember seeing Dufus for the first time in Stoke-on-trent (they were billed as friends of The Strokes, yes about 10 years ago....) but on stage didn’t come some hipster New Yorkers but a 12 piece band of multi-coloured wandering musicians playing music that literally blew my mind!The man is a mad genius and should be part of the school curriculum. FACT! Alongside this Jeff lewis, The Moldy Peaches, the Purple Organ...they just were all making music for themselves, for each other and although it was/is still massively lo-fi the whole scene just was amazing and some of the best live shows I’ve ever seen (without lasers/pyros/inflatable train riding Rosie etc) oh and Mark.E.Smith, yes, I love the fact that he is such a love/hate kinda guy, he divides opinion hugely, there is nothing bland about The Fall and that’s kinda what music should be about, bland music and bland bands should not be aloud
Thanks for your time.
You rule! TPS x
original source:
http://thevibedetective.moonfruit.com/#/the-pencil-sharks/4555819962
The Pencil Sharks [have] a "burning desire to play Glastonbury 2013". In pursuit of this aim he has developed a unique marketing strategy which involves appealing directly to Emily Eavis, and recording a song a week with the hope that he can "cobble 10 good ones for a Glastonbury set".
The Pencil Sharks' songs to date are imaginative both lyrically and instrumentally, and to my mind Ms. Eavis would be ill advised to ignore the opportunity to book them.
I had to swim like Jacques Cousteau on speed, but I managed to catch up with The Pencil Shark(s) and put some questions to him:
Are you able to reveal your true identity, the man behind The Pencil Sharks?
Hmm...he ponders (what am I The Game or something, referring to myself in the third person) I wasn’t aware that I had created even a hint of mystery...who is the man behind TPS but seems as fate has dealt that hand I’ll keep it that way for a bit...I am a man, I’m in my twenties and that’s all you’re getting but I’ll be sure to put a call into Corey Taylor to see who makes Slipknot’s masks so i can keep myself hidden for a bit longer
Have you been a part of other bands or musical projects?
Yes, but then answering this would reveal who I am...you’re sneaky Vibe Detective...SnEakY.... I will say though that I started as a guitarist in Honeymoon Super Stimulator (I’m pretty sure nothing on the internet exists of HSS but it’s still one of my fav band names of all time so worth a mention!) I then played drums but Im not telling you who for as one Google search will reveal my identity...oh the horror!
You aim to write and record one song a week as part of your campaign – I make that over 80 songs before Glastonbury 2013. Is the well of your creativity that deep?
Who knows? I hope so, I’ll look like a bit of a dick otherwise! I’m sure there will be some songs that I write that turn out to be utter crap but I initially set out to force myself into finishing songs, not just writing a chorus or a catchy riff and then being lazy and doing nothing about it. It’s a bit of a silly number of songs, at present I’m happily catching time here and there and sitting down with the guitar and computer and working towards my Sunday deadline but the time available changes dramatically week to week already I’ve had to cram a full song from inception to recording in about an hour or so frantically listening to drum tracks and messing about with lyrics...this is not advisable....
Do you plan to release some of the songs in album form?
Man, that would be awesome wouldn’t it! A 4 heavy weight vinyl box set....mmm tasty! If I did I’d like it to be tactile, not just a download or CD but a big extravaganza. Laura Marling did a wicked box set of her first album with a lyric book and posters and even a board game...that’s the future, songs easily get lost in the mass hysteria of my iTunes, how are you suppose to remember that once you liked that song from that band who split up and only released one single when you’ve got thousands of other tracks vying for your mp3 based attention. People need something to hold, something to look at and also more time away from the computer, I do almost everything through my Mac so a break from the screen to listen to vinyl/tape/CD is good...read the sleeve notes!
Having said that, without the rise of the mp3 I would be having to cut a vinyl every week and forcibly harrass strangers into taking them outside Camden Tube steadily becoming more famous than the Jesus guy or the woman with all the books in the shopping trolly
Do you have any non-Glastonbury live performances planned?
Not as yet, I need to spend some time working out the hell to play these live if iI was on my lonesome... I‘ve seen Scrappy from Milk Kan playing with some form of backing track - but not in an X-Factor kinda way - so perhaps I’ll look at that, although I did once get trapped at an open mic where this guy was playing to a backing track, he only did three songs - song one to a half full basement - song two, people slowly moving upstairs and by the time he was half way through his last song even the soundguy had left, it was crazy, just me and a couple of mates stayed the distance with our claps echoing around the basement. I felt a bit sorry for him but hey, GarageBand can give even the most reclusive of people a full sounding band
It’s early stages I know, but have you had any response from Ms. Eavis yet? Or from anyone else?
She’s tweeted but only to say that it’s a bit early to be thinking about Glasto 2013, which is fair enough it’s ages away! Whether she’s had a listen I can neither confirm nor deny!
Do you have any other tactics to enact regarding drawing her attention?
What apart from cycling around the West Country with TPS songs booming out of a Ghetto Blaster gaffa taped to my bike....not as yet
One man on his own might look a bit lost on the Glasto main stage. Will you outdo Beyonce solely with the force of your music?
By the power of Greyskull! I haven’t really thought about any live performances as yet although I have always wanted to play a gig in a mirrored box but Battles did that in one of their music vids so I guess that’s out the window now? In previous musical incarnations I have played Halloween gigs alongside zombies and ghosts, had a dancetroup take over half of Peter Parkers Rock n Roll Club and I always wanted to make my hi-hat look like the SMASH robots..hmm ...Something to rival The Flaming Lips would be epic, or pull out something akin to Rosie riding the RocknRoll train like AC/DC....doesn’t the guy who does the voices of Zippy and Bungle now do pyrotechnics? Maybe he’ll be my first call or maybe I’ll just go all Donovan and get me a purple velvet skin tight T-shirt and play the whole gig sat down!!?
Would you consider expanding your personnel if any apt and able musicians presented themselves to you?
For sure, already got some mates in mind to form a huge band, it could be Gasto you’ve got to try and make it epic!
Bedfordshire and Islington feature in your songs – which is your ‘manor’?
Clapton, East London, E5, love it!
I could be wrong but I seem to detect the influence of Captain Beefheart in your songs. Are you the bastard offspring of the late Don Van Vliet? Or perhaps you have the voice of Mark E. Smith whispering in your ear?
Alas, no, my father isn’t Beefheart! I’ve given Trout Mask Replica many listens but that’s the only album I have of his...maybe I should invest in some more... there are a lot of influences swirling especially Seth ov Dufus and the whole NY Anti-Folk scene. I remember seeing Dufus for the first time in Stoke-on-trent (they were billed as friends of The Strokes, yes about 10 years ago....) but on stage didn’t come some hipster New Yorkers but a 12 piece band of multi-coloured wandering musicians playing music that literally blew my mind!The man is a mad genius and should be part of the school curriculum. FACT! Alongside this Jeff lewis, The Moldy Peaches, the Purple Organ...they just were all making music for themselves, for each other and although it was/is still massively lo-fi the whole scene just was amazing and some of the best live shows I’ve ever seen (without lasers/pyros/inflatable train riding Rosie etc) oh and Mark.E.Smith, yes, I love the fact that he is such a love/hate kinda guy, he divides opinion hugely, there is nothing bland about The Fall and that’s kinda what music should be about, bland music and bland bands should not be aloud
Thanks for your time.
You rule! TPS x
original source:
http://thevibedetective.moonfruit.com/#/the-pencil-sharks/4555819962
Monday 13 February 2012
FIZZ
Dear Emily Eavis, perhaps you'd like The Pencil Sharks to perform FIZZ at Glasto 2013...
Umami, that other taste and so very tasty, marmite like flavour, as your taste buds develop thiings get tastier and things you once loved don't seem to taste as good as they did - and are smaller, definitely smaller. Even though I know it'll make me feel bad after the event I cannot help but on occasion eat a big massive pile of sweets until the roof of my mouth hurts and I know the impending crash is upon me. It's the 'we give you five days you give us two...on those two hell will be raised...FIZZ
Umami, that other taste and so very tasty, marmite like flavour, as your taste buds develop thiings get tastier and things you once loved don't seem to taste as good as they did - and are smaller, definitely smaller. Even though I know it'll make me feel bad after the event I cannot help but on occasion eat a big massive pile of sweets until the roof of my mouth hurts and I know the impending crash is upon me. It's the 'we give you five days you give us two...on those two hell will be raised...FIZZ
Monday 6 February 2012
Embroidery for Beginners
Dear Emily Eavis, perhaps you'd like The Pencil Sharks to perform Embroidery for Beginners at Glasto 2013...
Next week sees the 6 month mark since I started this blog and this is song number 25. Never have I written this consistently, usually there's a focus on sharpening up songs for a live show and then the writing stops in favour of rehearsing. I'm really quite proud of my big pot of songs and although some are a little worse for wear, I genuinely think some are stompers!
Just shows what you can achieve with a goal and the attitude of 'just do it' (other corporate strap lines are available) if it's drawing, knitting, songwriting, story telling or embroidery just 'turn off that TV set and do something more interesting instead' (other kids TV themes are available)...Embroidery for Beginners...
Next week sees the 6 month mark since I started this blog and this is song number 25. Never have I written this consistently, usually there's a focus on sharpening up songs for a live show and then the writing stops in favour of rehearsing. I'm really quite proud of my big pot of songs and although some are a little worse for wear, I genuinely think some are stompers!
Just shows what you can achieve with a goal and the attitude of 'just do it' (other corporate strap lines are available) if it's drawing, knitting, songwriting, story telling or embroidery just 'turn off that TV set and do something more interesting instead' (other kids TV themes are available)...Embroidery for Beginners...
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