HW: [Fwd: Woronzow news]

[Karen Kusic]

Ade Shaw's label!  :-)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Woronzow news
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 18:24:00 +0100
From: Woronzow Records <info at woronzow.co.uk>
To: "'Woronzow Records'" <adeshaw at woronzow.netkonect.co.uk>

WORONZOW NEWS

Hi there. Just a brief update to keep you all abreast of what's been
going on recently at Woronzow HQ. As you may or may not know, Woronzow
has currently got a nice
little licence deal going on with the recently formed New York label
Rubric, whereby they release in the USA most of the albums we issue in
Europe. As a result of this deal, The Frond, The Alchemysts and The
Lucky Bishops were all flown over to Austin, Texas for the annual 'South
By Southwest' music convention, where Rubric had booked a night at The
Atomic Café to showcase their acts. Joe Propatire flew down from
Providence to drum for us. (You'll be glad to learn that Andy Ward is
much better, and should be bashing for us again soon).Simeon drove over
from his home in Alabama, and joined the Alchemysts on stage, and The
Green Pajamas flew in from Seattle. So for six nights this disparate
bunch took up residence at the La Quinta Motel, and much fun was had by
all. For some reason, Dave and Kenny, the brains behind Rubric, stayed
in a different hotel. On his first night in Texas, Paul of The
Alchemysts was carried unconscious to his bed (12 pints and some
unfeasibly strong grass doing their insidious worst), and once Ade, Jon
Alchemyst and I had cleared his nasal passages of vomit, he apparently
slept well! Start as you mean to continue. The next night, during our
pre-bed party, Richard of The Bishops, who had been overindulging
outrageously and had been consequently sitting in a catatonic stupor,
suddenly rose unsteadily to his feet. 'I'm totally minced!' he announced
in stentorian tones before collapsing in a heap. On the Thursday, we all
gathered to perform in the Atomic Café. There was a healthy crowd in to
see the festivities, including a few of our old mates. Jello Biafra, Stu
Pope and Vic, Mary Lou Lord. It was a lovely atmosphere, marred only by
the soundcrew, whose late appearance meant that nobody got a soundcheck,
and thus the sound was really below par, and also by the fact that the
Hammond organ, hired at great expense for The Bishops,(advertised by The
Atomic Café as The Lucky Bis Hops) didn't work. None the less, it was a
great night, all the bands played well and the crowd loved it. On the
Saturday
for the Sebadoh gig as 'special guests'.
We opened the show in front of about 3,000 people at The Austin Music
Hall and went down very well, despite a few murmurs of disappointment
that the 'special guests' weren't really that special. There had been
rumours going round that it was going to be Neil Young, so even we were
disappointed when it turned out to be us! While we were in Austin we
were able to take in some of the 1,000 bands performing during the five
days of SXSW. Mary Lou was great. I liked Delta 72 but no one else in
our party seemed to. Paul Jon and Mat went to The Alternative Tentacles
gig and came away visibly shaken by Pachenko (I think) whose massive
tattooed lead singer was trying to pick fights with the audience. Ade
and I managed to see the top of Roger McGuinn's head. He was playing in
the tiny bar of the university (literally hundreds of people couldn't
get in, including us), while upstairs in the main hall a gospel choir
were performing for about fifty people. For us, the outstanding act was
definitely 'The Dung Beatles', an American Beatles tribute band in all
the gear, speaking with faux-Liverpudlian accents, who had slightly
altered every song to include some kind of scatalogical reference. So we
had 'Eight Shits A Week', 'From Meat To Poo', 'Hard Day's Shite', 'She's
Got A Thicket To Wipe'. Very silly, but actually very funny. Perhaps you
had to be there. On the Monday we bid farewell to Simeon and The
Pajamas, and flew up to New York, to do a gig at CBGBs. We

booked into a nice hotel in Soho, just round the corner from the gig and
the next night we reconvened at the venue, with the welcome addition of
Tom Rapp who played the usual mesmeric set with the able assistance of
Tim from Stonebreath and the magic harp of Prydwyn. This time The
Bishop's organ worked, and they played an absolute stormer, though their
soundcheck, which included their version of The Grandstand Theme was
even better! The Alchemysts were on fire and we played really well too.
I think the whole thing was broadcast over the net, so maybe you can
track it down somehow. The show was wound up by Kenny Rubric's own band,
'Aytobach Criser'.
No, that's not a misprint, it's apparently how a Hungarian acquaintance
of theirs says 'Paperback Writer'! What?! All in all a great little
jaunt.
 Next up are a few gigs in Germany with the three bands. We play
Gelsenkirchen Kaue on the 11th of May, Bielefeld Forum on the 12th, and
finally The Swamp Room Festival near Hannover on the 13th. Before that,
though, we'll be back at The Walthamstow Standard on Sunday May the 7th
(see enclosed flier). We're going to decide who plays first by tossing a
coin, so make sure you get there on time.
Also, there are some plans afoot for Country Joe MacDonald to tour
Europe and The UK with The Bevis Frond doing their famous Fish
impersonation. If it all comes together, that should happen around
September/October. Ade and I are also working hard to get gigs in the UK
for The Lucky Bishops and The Alchemysts, together or separately. If you
know anywhere that fancies having their ceiling blown off, let us know
and we'll follow it up.(the info, not the ceiling.)
On the recording front, we're currently putting the finishing touches to
'Acid Jam 2', which we thought was done, but as a result of Ade
unearthing an old and revered friend, we're going to attempt to add to
it. After the last Standard gig in January, Paul Simmons and I were
musing on what fun it would be to do a kind of heavy late 60s/Monster
Magnet record. We came up with a stack of typical titles, and then
jammed out some songs. Joe Prop was still in England, so we went into
the studio and laid down an albums worth of heavy stuff which we've
entitled 'Fed To Your Head'. That should be out later this year.
Following the success of The Alchemysts And Simeon CD (being re-pressed
as I write), The Alchies have got their own new album virtually ready.
It's called 'Zero Zen', and it's a killer. We're just concluding a deal
to issue the debut album by an Australian band called 'The First Third'.
We're really excited by this one. It's a really odd mixture of sounds.
Very melodic with nods towards The Beach Boys, John Fahey, Neutral Milk
Hotel and Big Star, but without sounding like any of them. I'll be
recording a new Bevis album in a few weeks time. And we're also planning
to put out new albums by a legendary figure (with the help of The Lucky
Bishops), and an equally legendary band, but more about those when and
if they happen.
So, that's about it for the time being. If you need information on
anything don't hesitate to contact us. We're anxious to broaden our mail
order/info list, so if you know anyone who might be interested, tell
them to contact us so we can add their names to our database. Hope to
see you at The Standard on May 7th.
All the best,   Nick.

Woronzow Records
Woronzow website - www.woronzow.co.uk