Cardiacs: Classic or Dud?

08/12/04: London - Astoria
09/12/04: Manchester - MDH (Uni)
10/12/04: Glasgow - Garage
11/12/04: Sheffield - Leadmill
13/12/04: Cambridge - Junction
14/12/04: Bristol - Anson Rooms
15/12/04: Wolverhampton - Wulfrun Hall

Did anyone see them at the Astoria on 12th Nov? What happened?

Say WHAT? What a fuckin' double-bill!!!!!

I expect indifference followed by swift irritation followed speedily by violence.

For you lucky bastards that live in London, Cardiacs will be playing TWO SPECIAL SECRET CONCERTS at The Bull and Gate in Kentish Town, London on the 21st and 22nd of December.

Take some time to appreciate the lyrical genius of the man... A song about an insect landing on a TV screen and falling in love with Lassie (who was a he-dog). A song about when you used to play with your food on the plate because it was too scary. All with random letters inserted into words ("indside") and resurrection of beautiful archaic terms like "phiz" and "foundling". And utterly no respect for the rules of metre. You could write a doctoral thesis on it.

It shouldn't be about whether you boo or hurrah Cardiacs, by the way. Just take it as a fact that Cardiacs are a truly independent musical/lyrical universe in itself. For that is undeniable fact.

Let's fly hawks around your house :-)

The Astoria gig last December was, I think, my 20th and I’m looking forward to the next 20. A new album would be nice though – Guns was SEVEN years ago! And I wonder when these promised DVDs will come out…?

One more thing - my girlfriend’s sister is one of the uninitiated and wants to hear what Cardiacs sound like – is there one song I could play her which will get them across? I was thinking ‘Fiery Gun Hand’.

Tim Smith is on tour supporting Ginger And The Sonic Circus at the moment. I was dead keen to go to the london date, except tickets are something like £15 plus booking fee and considering I have no interest in seeing the headline act, it would be a bit of a waste of money. Sigh.

Seven years is just silly. I wonder how many times they've recorded/scrapped the new album now? I imagine it's like Lee Mavers and The La's - they just keep redoing it over and over again and are never satisfied with the result.

http://download.yousendit.com/DE7C8DC44EE79F97

http://download.yousendit.com/FCD2053C3B705000

If you're not up for that, one of those two songs features in this peerless live recording (aka religious experience): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpEe0ztq2ck

except for two things:

1) their albums are impossible to find at a reasonable price.

2) they are one of the greatest live bands of all time, but they never play outside of london. that was fine when I lived there, but nowadays it's a fucking disgrace.

but another point in their favour is that they gave the ridiculously talented kavus torabi a home once the monsoon bassoon prematurely ceased to be.

http://www.zatcb.co.uk/Links/Cardiacs.gif

http://www.studioxix.com/archive/SS_Cardiacs_design2.gif

No album news but this is something at least:

"Cardiacs will play the songs YOU love live in session on
MARC RILEY'S ROCKET SCIENCE RADIO SHOW on BBC 6 MUSIC from 7pm.
Thursday 28th June 2007.

YOU will stand by YOUR radio.
YOU will press up YOUR vile ear to the tinny-sounding speaker.
YOUR heart will erupt and YOUR guts will swirl.
Like the angry sea, like all biblical storm.
YOUR big eyes might POP OUT OF YOUR HEAD.

THE ALPHABET BUSINESS CONCERN guarantees this."

I heard the above session which consisted of three songs from "On Land And In The Sea", so nothing to get too excited about. But there's always this:

CARDIACS ON TOUR NOVEMBER 2007

MON 12 BRIGHTON THE OLD MARKET
TUE 13 OXFORD ZODIAC
WED 14 BRISTOL THEKLA SOCIAL
THU 15 NOTTINGHAM RESCUE ROOMS
FRI 16 LONDON ASTORIA
MON 19 SHEFFIELD BOARDWALK
TUE 20 STOKE ON TRENT THE SUGARMILL
WED 21 MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3
THU 22 PORTSMOUTH WEDGEWOOD ROOMS

I met Tim Smith at the first Authority gig! I could only blab about how STG and Guns were two of my favouritest albums. Didn't have the courage to ask about new recordings. This news, however, is excellent! I may have to catch them before it's too late.

I'm honestly astounded by the lack of Cardiacs awareness on ILX. People, this. Is. As. Good. As. It. Gets.

I could only blab about how STG and Guns were two of my favouritest albums

Ha ha - Gotta wonder how many times he's had THAT conversation. If you've got a choice, try to see them in the biggest venue - they know how to rise to the occasion. The Astoria gig will be a sell-out for sure.

How are Authority?

Authority were consistently blinding, with a couple of absolute stormers ('The Catalyst' and 'Southway' (I think that was the title). More straightforwardly 'rock' than TMB, their interplay (with two guitars, bass and drums) was mesmerising and at times near-unfathomable, but their riffs often deceptively simple and their grasp of dynamic build excellent. I await their debut album with great interest!

I also spoke with Kavus Torabi, and that conversation was far more profitable. We bonded over Battles' "Atlas" which happened to be playing over the PA (me: "This is my single of the year, brilliant, isn't it?" him: "Yeah, me too!") and discussed his band (and Cardiacs) for a brief while. (I lie when I say I only blabbed to TS, however; I also mentioned the bands we'd seen and agreed that they were superb.)

Shall I book an Astoria ticket soonish, then?

Whoops, wrong login!

That's better.

Shall I book an Astoria ticket soonish, then?

If two hours of intensity in the company of lots of portly weirdos sounds exciting then yes, get your ticket sooner than later. I haven't seen them in a long time but apparently it's become a tradition to have "friends and relations" popping up on stage to assist in the fabulous spectacle during these London gigs. Unfortunately I think the last time I saw them was in a wretched little pub in Edinburgh with only about 50 people in the audience. Not quite as stately as I would have liked.

INDESCRIBABLY MIGHTY NEW SINGLE

wondrous...I actually tuned into 6music for the first time ever last week just to hear that song's first play. tis the business.

however, not all in cardiacs land is pleasing me. I've moaned tediously to everybody in earshot about this, so I might as well moan about it here too:

NO SCOTTISH DATE ON CARDIACS TOUR. ARSE.

welcome to the first day of the rest of your music listenerhood, or something