the cooper temple clause are one systematic government no one can trust… i don’t trust them myself

05/10/04 | TCTC
Letter to America/ Canada
Dear North American Friends,

It has now been nearly a month since we've returned from the odyssey that was the Curiosa tour. There were many moments throughout the tour when we weren't sure if all of us would return. The dangers ranged from fiercely competitive football (soccer) matches, which is how our fallen comrade Chris from Muse broke his wrist, to high speed golf cart chases, which nearly landed our replacement bass player Dan Austin and Auf der Maur's guitarist Steve Durrand in jail.
But it wasn't all mishaps. All the bands on the line up were some of the friendliest we've ever met, and we managed to make friends with pretty much all of them. The Cure were smart enough to put together a bunch of bands that were all sociable, which helped develop a definite community feel throughout the tour. It was an honour to be involved with such great bands and to be able to get to know them at the regular aftershows. The gigs outside the Curiosa dates were great too, with thanks to Auf der Maur, Mogwai and The Rapture. It wasn't just the people on the Curiosa tour that made our trip great. We thank all those who helped put on DJ nights and aftershows that helped us spread our name around a bit.
The people who we have to thank the most are you guys. The crowds that came to watch us far exceeded what we were expecting, both in size and response, and helped us to love the gigs each day. Although our stage time was short, we still managed to have a great time and we hope that you got a taste of what our music is about. We also appreciate that Stage B was usually a fair walk from the ampitheatre so thanks again for taking the time to come and find us.
We are now back at our little studio (The Bleak House) in the middle of the countryside to work on our third record and it's starting to sound melodically sublime. The corn has just been harvested outside our window and the sheep and cows have come to graze. All in all we take this as a good sign that our work will soon be reaped and distributed across the world. Before then we certainly hope to return to the U.S. and Canada and follow up the gigs we played on the Curiosa tour. As of yet there is no fixed date, but don't fret, for as soon as we book it, you'll hear about it.
Yours in British agriculture,

the cooper temple clause x


07/10/04 | JH
London gig
Well all of us seemed to have a good night at the LSE yesterday. The gig was hot and sweaty and like most small shows a little chaotic. Yet it was great to be back in London playing live. Next week should also be a blast at the Coronet. Thanks to everyone who turned up and gave it their all.
Tonight (Thursday) myself, Didx and the K Mahon will be at Rocket Complex 166 Holloway Road to spin some tunes. Expect the usual !!!, Interpol, Bloc Party, Clash etc. The others are somewhere in Surrey on another Dj extravaganza. X



14/10/04 | JH
Coronet
We have a little show tomorrow at the Coronet in Elephant and Castle with Babyshambles and lots of other folks. It's for rock against racism and should be a top night so come down and show some support.
Last night Ben, Tom, Dan and Kieran were Djing in York.. All reports so far have said that it was great so thanks to everyone who turned out and got down.
More soon....



16/10/04 | JH
Elephant and Castle
Mucho fun in Elephant and Castle last night! Unfortunately we only had thirty minutes to play so sorry to anyone who expected us to play for longer but that is just the way it was organised.
The set would have been AIM, Been Training Dogs, The Same Mistakes, New Toys, Music Box, Promises Promises however the power went down on
Tom's rack so we had to swap the first two songs.
Was nice to run into all the usual gang... so thanks to everyone who made it down to support Unite! X



17/10/04 | Jonny
New Dates
Some new dates... Oh yes... should be fun.



20/10/04 | Jonny
Hong Kong
Looks like we are off to Hong Kong to play a festival tomorrow which will be a nice change from being locked in the studio working on the new Tracks. All good! Mr Austin has been down all week and there has been some fantastic guitar and drum action. Plus some very late night hand clapping and percussion from Tom, Ben and myself.
Look out for updates next week from this weekends trip and lots of photos by Tom from the Curiosa Tour.



24/11/04 | Jonny
Lazy
Shit it's been a month! Reading my last journal entry I promised some news on how the Hong Kong trip was and some photos Tom took on the Curiosa tour.. Well... Looks like the first of the Curiosa photos have gone up today which is good. Things always seem to take ages to sort out when we are recording. Minds on other things etc...
Hong Kong was a great little trip. We arrived the day before we were to play and had the afternoon to check out the city. From our hotel we could see the festival site and it looked amazing. The usual press and record company bod meetings took place and when over we went down to the festival to check out what was happening. Matt (a good friend of the band) was in town having been travelling in China with his girlfriend so a big night out reunion was developing. Everything at the site closed quite early because of the city noise restrictions so we decided to check out some bars. My good friend Andy P turned up from Japan with his lady and we drank into the early hours to try and hold off the jet lag.
The next day was again filled with interviews and photoshoots which finished up about an hour before we were due on stage. I managed to catch half of the 5,6,7,8s set which was good. The gig went pretty well and the crowd reaction was amazing. A few insane stage invaders getting up to dance before being dragged away by security. Also who needs enemies was bumped onto the set at the last minute which was a nice change as we have not played it live for ages.
Everyone was on top form so we headed out to do some Djing at a festival aftershow and see some more of Hong Kongs nightlife before heading to the airport for the flight back to London.

Amazing city.. great new up and coming festival.. Thanks to everyone who traveled to come and see us.



24/11/04 | Jonny
Stoke and beyond
The Stoke Underground. However the freshly painted wooden crowd barrier only lasted until the middle section of been training dogs when it was ripped out of the floor and pushed across the monitors. I thought that would be it and we would have to get off stage because the front row looked like they were being crushed to death. Between songs everyone was still smiling and cheering so we carried on. Again some strange stage invasions... like the LSE gig a girl got onstage and then didn't know what to do with herself so just started to talk to Ben while he was singing. Very Random. Great gig. Very hot. Thanks to everyone who came down and got bruised all over and covered in paint.


Back in the Bleakhouse studio as of the 15th bouncing ideas around and listening to mixes. There has been some arrangement changes and lots of strange noises coming from various rooms. All good. More live from the studio updates coming soon



14/02/05 | Jonny
14/02/05
Well. Last week saw real progress with learning all the new songs live. We now have six pretty much in the bag! More on these very soon....
This week sees us continuing with these six and getting the rest up to standard live. Next week we will all be down in the west country at a studio putting the finishing touches to all the tracks before we contemplate how we are going to record them.
Tonight I will be out in London celebrating my birthday at the LCD Soundsystem gig.
More updates, sketches and pictures later in the week.



26/02/05 | Jonny
Box
Great week down in Box working out the final arrangements for the new material. Things are sounding so good. Next week we are in Wales recording three of these new tracks and hopefully a whole lot more if we have the time.



28/02/05 | Jonny
Recording!
Finally we are in the studio recording for real. After months of demos and rehearsals it feels great to be actually laying down finished tracks...



02/03/05 | Didx
maroon5 saved my life.
Hello,
Studio is good, rhythm is prominent. Fat back drums and grinding bass... Day two in the studio and damage has been done.. one track sounding great.. another track getting there after lots of takes today... Probably 80.. and if i look to the left i can see 2 birds.. tom is coldy but remainz excellent! merrick has good ant stories and monmouthshire is apparently still at war with germany. thinking of getting steve davis in for b.v.'s and beatboxxxxxxing......to be cont..



04/03/05 | Jonny
Bones
So now we have the bones of three tracks finished and everything is sounding great. We were just in the studio in Wales for three days to get the backing tracks of three songs finished. For a few days next week we will be down in Bath again to finish any little bits of music and vocals. Then back in the bleak house rehearsing the rest of the album material ready for the next studio sessions.
The tracks went down very quickly after we had spent a few hours each day getting all the sounds right. We decided that on this album we want to record everything as live as possible, so everyone has been playing together and we have then just been using the best take.



10/03/05 | Jonny
Spinning
Looks like we will be playing some records on the 17th in Portsmouth and on the 19th in Bristol. Will update where the venues are as soon as I find out myself.

Tracks nearly done. Tom and Fish working on them this week down in Box. Ben going down Monday to vocalise... all good!



18/03/05 | Jonny
Registered!
Lastnight was fantastic. Thank you to everyone who came down to support and remind us that people still know we exist. Top djing from Tom, Didx and Kieran.. with only one little problem in the form of a skipping London Calling... Messy long night.. with a perfect 4am road race along the A36 to Bristol...

...Bristol dj set will be very similar. Yet unfortunately we will be losing Mr Hammond as he will be on Official business in Nottingham on Saturday night. Looks like we will be hitting the decks at about 1am or something... Till about 3am.. Graveyard shift!

Will get the set lists scanned and attached as soon as.



28/03/05 | Jonny
Three New Tracks!
Three new tracks in the bag...sounding amazing!



08/06/05 | Jonny
Strange nights in the wilderness..
Last week saw us on a huge night out to catch up with Mr Danny Austin and Mr Paul Corkett... We hit the town hard and ended up back at the studio with too many drinks in us and lots of samplers to play with... Kieran managed to capture some of the events on his phone. There is never anywhere to hide!



24/09/05 | Butterfingaz
Songs for song lovers
Cooper Radio:


dEUS : Pocket Revolution (LP)
lcd soundsystem : yeah
Oceansize : Everyone Into Position (LP)
Elbow : Leaders Of The Free World (LP)
Sigur Ros : Takk
Mogwai : Happy Songs For Happy People
Murcof : Martes
King Biscuit Time : Fatheriver
Jon Murphy : In The House - In A Heartbeat



02/11/05 | Webmaster
Stood up. ..
So after getting terribly excited about dining with the Beautiful South today they didn't turn up. Still the curry didn't let us down. There's always tomorrow.


After a week of revamping the Bleakhouse we are back mixing. Today we are tackling the beast that is Supertango (Working title). Got a bit of a "Cars" vibe to it. Nice.


Three left to go!

Studio B "The B-sides Lounge" is still rockin on in an underground fashion. Latest workings include "Head" and "Hardcore" both which can be found somewhere in the electronic cupboard.

See you soon.

Tom x



18/11/05 | Tom
All I See Is You.. ..
So... if all goes to plan we will be spending our last week in Bath next week. Can't believe it's finally coming to an end. What a journey! Two album tracks left to mix "House of Cards" which some of you will have heard at the Oxford and Norwich shows and "All I See Is You (Working Title)" . The latter is particularly dark and moody and sees Dan once again in heavy guitar heaven. Music Box's new big brother! I found a clip on my phone of him laying down some riffage. Hope you like it!

Tom x



07/12/05 | Tom
Cure 50 BPM
When we were out with the Cure last year we were asked along with all the other bands to contribute towards a mix cd that Robert Smith was trying to put together. He had some maverick idea of getting all the bands to jam with each other and then release it as a charity cd. There were only three objectives:


1. Write a song at 50 BPM in C minor
2. Write a song at 100 BPM in A major
3. Write a song at 150 BPM in (can't remember that key!) D min maybe!

The idea behind it was that over the course of the tour, bands would go into the studio which was set up each day on the tour and add to what was already down or start a new section or collaborate with other artists, basically just add creatively to the pot in the hope that something cogent would come out the other end!

I quite liked the idea of doing something at 50 BPM because it seemed so slow that it was going to be more of a challenge. I also liked the fact that it was in a minor key because together with the slow speed it was inevitably going to turn into something resembling a death march. So i began...

We finally ended up putting a version of it down when the tour arrived in L.A. This however was the last we heard of it. So, instead of losing it to wherever it might of ended up we rerecorded and revamped it last week. Added some seriously heavy guitars, some vox love and a live kit.

Sounds loud!
This was Dan and Jon putting down some parts last week. Sounds quite strange without the track!



13/12/05 | Tom
Rehearsals. ..
Started to rehearse the album last week, getting into shape for playing live to you in the new year. We have had to relearn some of the songs that we played this year due to the fact that in the mixing of the album (post gigs) there were some changes made to arrangements and parts. Still pretty much how you heard them, just better!
This video is us in the Bleakhouse playing the opening bars of a newbie, which i think has now been confirmed as being called "Homosapien". More to come soon. ..

Tom x

P.S Your computer isn't broken, it's meant to be black up there! The times they are a-changin'........



24/12/05 | Tom
Islington, last night.......
I would just like to apologise to anyone that came to see us (not) dj last night in London. We did our part of the deal, unfortunately the promoter of the night didn't and was more interested in going to a house party. Totally out of our hands. Sorry again.


We'll look after you next time.... your names and faces have been logged......

Happy Happy Christmas to all of you. Be merry. See you next year..


2006 is going to be special!..........

xxx




23/01/06 | J + T
Rehearsals and Photos. (Video)
Over the last two weeks we have been rehearsing hard in preparation for our little European trip. Getting to grips with all the new and old material and having lots of fun trying to work out exactly what was played. We have become a lean rehearsed machine, which makes the prospect of live dates really exciting. Some old favorites are back in the set along with some very new songs and even more hectic instrument swapping.
The video is of a new tune called "Damage" that will be on the new album and which some of you will have heard already at the Reading and Leeds Festivals.

x



09/02/06 | Ben
Milan (Video)
After 5 long years, The Cooper Temple Clause finally played a live show in Italy. Milan was the location and the famous San Siro football stadium was only a few hundred metres away from our Transilvania home. I was told in no uncertain terms that there was zero chance of me playing football there. I was hurt by this but the pain soon subsided as the mood within the camp was one of excitement. We were at last playing in Italy and we were also being highly entertained backstage by some bewildering and amusing videos on Italian music tv.

For the second night in a row, it was discovered that the mighty Arab Strap were to be playing in the same venue as us only a few days later. This excited us. There was no support band and the setlist was to be the same as Zurich. The crowd were fantastic and yet again we were made to feel very welcome by our European brothers and sisters. Milan is a great city and an executive decision was made that we would go out and sample the local nightlife after the show.

As my memory of wednesday is hazy to say the least I have had to ask Tom's assistance in helping recall the name of the bar that we attended after Transilvania. He thinks it was called Rocket and I have no grounds to doubt him. The drink of choice was a hot mojito which was host to warm water, an english tea bag and plenty of rum. Free shots of tequila just seemed to keep coming and Kieran was knocking them back faster than a Fisher guitar lick. We met some great characters - Max, Barberella, Eleanora, Claudia and many more fantastic people. Thanks to everyone who showed us the Milanese way of partying and once again a resoundingly warm thank you to everyone who came to see the gig. We will see all you very soon.

Attached below is a video from one of the songs performed in Milan. The track is called All I See Is You and will be appearing on the new album. Enjoy.



10/02/06 | Ben
Rome
I forgot how much training one needs to go on tour. You have to build yourself up; you can't just expect to be able to handle anything and everything. I'm talking about hang overs and the mighty hold they have on the fragile. We're only 2 and a half days in and I'm a mess.

The first commitment of the day was a radio interview that Fish and me had at radio citta futura in the city centre. I had no idea that motorists in Rome had no regard or compassion for each other. It's dog eat dog - the weak get crushed whilst the strong laugh in their faces. I must stress though that the architecture in this capital is without doubt the most incredible that I have ever laid eyes on. I strongly urge anyone who is looking for a holiday to visit Rome. My only piece of advice would be to take the public transport option.

The venue was called the Zoo Bar and yet again the staff were most generous, warm and friendly. Pietro in particular is a great man. He's our Italian Booking Agent and reminds me of a cross between Tom Hanks and Kevin Kline. If that doesn't excite you, nothing will. There were tour posters of our old American friends Calla alongside pictures of Carl from the mighty fine Dirty Pretty Things and even a photo of Pete Murphy (lead singer of Bauhaus). It seemed like we were in good company although our Production Manager Andy did not have favourable words to say of Mr.Murphy. But then again I've never heard Andy say a positive word about anybody.

The gig went well. We're still learning and growing as a five-piece. But some of the best moments from being in a live band are the days of its infancy. We're really enjoying playing the old songs and are definitely getting a kick out of the new ones. The band is in good shape and enjoying every single second of this tour.

Unfortunately for the third night in a row we were accused by various new European friends of being anti-commercial for not playing the 'big hit'. The song being Blind Pilots. May i just apologise now and take full responsibility; I have yet to learn the bass line for the song and none of us knew that it had been released in Italy or Switzerland. I promise next time we return that the song shall be in the set and if you're good, I may even play the show dressed up as a goat in honour of the video.

I'd also just like to say a huge special thank you from the bottom of the band's heart to our German and British friends who travelled so far to see us in Rome. It is always hard after such a long period out to know where you stand but the sight of familiar faces as well as all the new ones has been truly touching and most greatly appreciated. We enjoyed ourselves immensely during the show and hope you guys had fun too. We also hope that you all managed to catch your various flights back and that we'll see you all soon.

Rome was great. Every single person we met was a legend and we all loved the gig. It was a shame that we could not stay longer. Tomorrow is Bologna and then Turin. The Cooper Temple Clause are loving Italy and will soon be extremely sad to leave.

I pray that I feel better tomorrow. I don't like being the lightweight. I know I should be more adult and mature about it and not really care but I do. I think it may be time to bring back the topcat tonight. If you're not aware of the drink then I suggest the next time you're in America to ask the waiter in a bar for one. He'll know what you mean and I promise that you won't be disappointed.

Grazie e ciao! x



11/02/06 | Ben
Bologna
Our first friday night as a band in Italy and i don't think a better club could have been chosen than the Covo Club. I seriously recommend this place; it rocks. Great djs, great people, great everything.

We kept the set the same as previous nights as we are still getting to grips with playing as a 5-piece. 4 shows in and I think out of all the new songs we are playing, Damage and Great On Paper are getting the best responses. However all the new songs seem to be receiving positive reactions. New Toys is proving to be popular too.

The Covo Club reminded me of Leeds Cockpit in terms of the incredible atmosphere, the friendliness, the rich history of bands who have played there, and just a special electricity about the place. I seriously suggest coming here if you ever find yourself in Bologna on a friday night.

We met a great photographer called Angelo and I think you can see some of his photos on the gallery section of the site. I think it is worth mentioning at this point an unsung hero on this Italian leg of the tour. Her name is Romina and she has been an absolute legend. She has acted as translator, tour manager, merchandise chief, drinking companion and so much more. She works for our booking agent and has made us feel comfortable and at ease when it could have been so much more difficult in this beautiful foreign land. She has also worked with some fantastic bands like Kraftwerk and Sonic Youth. Fish asked her if Thurston Moore really was as tall as legend has it. She replied no and that was the end of that conversation. The girl has style.

We would also like to thank Club 11 who we were lucky enough to play with. They hail from Padova and promise great things. They also had a few drinks with us and taught us some Italian ways.

One of my favourite things about Italy is the fact that the bars seem to stay open until about 6am. However this means that serious damage can happen. I think everyone took advantage of the late license laws and we didn't really see each other until the bus call at 7am. Some were trying to help the Italian djs, others were propping up the bar and others managed to get completely lost. Everybody had a great time and we would like to thank the people of Bologna for having us. This is definitely another place that we have to return to.

Tomorrow is Turin, host of the Winter Olympics. I would like to see The Cooper Temple Clause enter a bobsleigh team. We would definitely win. Roberto our tour manager says that he doesn't think we have what it takes. I still think if there's a will, there's a way.

Until Turin my friends.



12/02/06 | Ben
Turin
We were not allowed to go bobsleighing. Frustration and anger were both heavily felt. However the pain of missing out was soon forgotten as we were to be playing the Spazio club and were pleased to see an old touring poster of our northern friends, Biffy Clyro. We were in a new Italian city. Things were good.

The mood soon went from happy to ecstatic when we discovered that there was going to be the most pumping club night in Turin after the show. It looked like our last gig in Italy was going to be a memorable one but only if people were able to raise themseves from bed.

The show went well. Homosapien was a definite highlight of the set. Kieran downed a pint on stage. The crowd were fantastic. We were all pleased with the show but sadness soon filled our hearts as we were to be leaving our new favourite country. I sincerely hope we get the chance to go back to Italy as everything about the place is fantastic. The people rock, the food is stunning, the scenery is unbelievable and every second spent in the country will be remembered with extreme fondness.

Thank you to the people of Turin, Bologna, Rome and Milan. You have made us feel so welcome. We did not know what to expect when we arrived, but after 4 shows we have had the time of our lives.

Speak soon.



14/02/06 | Ben
Lustenau
After the intense high of Zurich and the rich pleasures of Italy, we found ourseves in the remote snowy village of Lustenau right on the edge of Austria and within shouting distance of Switzerland. We had only ever played two shows in this glorious country and both had been phenomenal. However we did not know what to expect as we had never heard of this pretty village until our booking agent suggested it as a potential location a few months before the tour.

After a much needed day off, it was widely agreed that we all felt worse than we had done prior to our day of relaxation. It is always the way - a day off interrupts the flow of a tour. Just as one's body becomes accustomed to the excesses and rigours of touring, a day spent in a hotel almost makes you feel normal again and you can't feel like that when on the road. It is a constant battle and the comforts of a hotel are like evil in disguise.

We arrived at the venue at about 2pm and made straight for the dressing room to lie down and complain about a bad night's sleep for countless pathetic reasons. I managed to finish reading Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck whilst the rest of the band continued their pursuit of watching the full series of the remarkable Band Of Brothers. Soundcheck followed at about 5pm and we were to be on stage at about 10pm.

The crowd for the sixth gig in a row were exceptional. Despite members of the front row laughing at my pronunciation of Lustenau, I absolutely loved the gig and was genuinely amazed by the reception we were given. You'd imagine kids all over the world knowing and liking big bands like Metallica or Oasis but for people in Lustenau to know songs by The Cooper Temple Clause was absolutely staggering. They were definitely rockers too as Been Training Dogs, Promises Promises, Homosapien and Panzer Attack were the overwhelming favourites.

We were also reunited with some very dear comrades after the show. Michael our German brother, and the man responsible for The Cooper Temple Clause having had the opportunity to release songs and tour them there, was present; Christian, owner of the brilliant Atomic Cafe in Munich, and Henning, a journalist, dj and big fan of Mando Diao, were also to be seen consuming vast quantities of Austrian beer. We were also joined backstage by many new friends and to be honest the majority of the night is a blur as drinks were coming thick and fast.

I would like to express extreme gratitude to everyone who came to see us as we had an incredible time and you guys were superhuman. It really was another phenomenal gig. I'd also like to say thank you to everyone involved with the venue as yet again we were made to feel so welcome.

We will come back to your beautiful snowy village very soon. Thank you so so much.



15/02/06 | Ben
Salzburg (Photo)
I awoke late, hungover and just in time for load in. Confusion was definitely my state of mind and heavy snow surrounded the bus yet again. The Rockhouse is a great music venue with great staff. I immediately saw a tour poster of our good old Mancunian friends Oceansize who are to be playing the venue in a few weeks. This made me happy as I was glad that Salzburg was to be host of one of my favourite live bands.

We decided to keep the set the same but our main concern was the bass amp as it didn't seem to be working. As per usual I blamed Kieran and Fish. To be a great bass player you need to be a lover not a fighter. Andy soon fixed it but both Kieran and Fish were not happy about my sensational accusation.

We were on stage at about 9.30 and had been fed by the venue local cuisine which consisted of a vegetable soup and then some beef,mash and horseraddish sauce. It was great. We also signed a book that the chef kept of all the bands that she had catered for; we were happy to see the mighty Deus in there but there were some strange bands too that I had never heard of like Thunder Thigh. Very strange and all rather odd.

Austrian crowds are immense. We have now played 4 gigs in the country and the atmosphere at each show has been fully charged. They are unbelievable. Despite a lengthy respite between Connect and Waiting Game, nothing but great support was offered by the crowd. The reason for the long delay was a faulty patch lead but the audience showed great understanding and patience. Although each show of the tour has been special, Salzburg definitely rocked like a Mutha. The venue is built into part of a mountain and the whole package of venue plus crowd definitely lifted us. The women were beautiful too. Really beautiful.

As usual plenty of drinks were had at the bar afterwards and we had the pleasure of meeting some truly wonderful people, some who had travelled great distances to see us. One can't help but feel humbled when informed of the great lengths and journeys people make to share the experience of our music. It makes us feel good and also part of the human race that there are people out there who feel the same as us and can identify and connect with the band. Thank you so much. Austria is incredible. We will return. We have to return.




16/02/06 | Ben
Basle
And so we returned to the country where it all started, Switzerland. We were to be playing Basle and were also to be celebrating Jon's birthday. Everyone was still feeling a bit shaky from the previous night but then again I think most of Salzburg were as well.

The venue reminded me of Southampton University and there seemed to be some kind of exotic tree growing in the back of the room. I had no idea what to make of this wildlife so I went to the dressing room to give Jon his present and think about how many other shows we've played with plantlife growing inside. As you might imagine time was very much on my side as yet more Band Of Brothers was being watched in the bus.

Tonight traditional Swiss goulash was on the menu and we were reunited with Marc from the Abart Club in Zurich who had travelled to see the show and wish Jon a happy birthday. It seemed the introduction of a newcomer gave us the impetus to start properly celebrating the existence of our drummer and bottles of champagne were being opened in all corners of the room.

Despite FC Basle having a home game against Monaco in the UEFA Cup we were greeted by 400 people when we came on stage. Just like other dates on the tour we were dumbfounded by the incredible support and amazing energy of the crowd. House Of Cards was well received as were New Toys and Waiting Game. Panzer Attack kicked off with Fish playing like a man possessed and Jon still drinking champagne behind the dumkit. 8 shows in and the response, verve and power of all the crowds has been truly astonishing. Without doubt I am enjoying this tour more than any tour before and for that I thank the people of Basle and other cities we have been lucky enough to visit in the last week or so.

Only one show left. Time has flown by. We have to arrange some more tours very soon. We need to return to these places and also play the UK, Germany, Japan and USA amongst many other new and exciting countries. We all feel like we could tour for years as there are so many towns and cities all over the world that we need to go back to. Things are most definitely on the up.



17/02/06 | Ben
Dudingen (Photos)
A sad sad day. The last day of our tour. Everyone feels like they could go another 15 rounds and tour non-stop for the rest of the year. We need to finish mixing the album so that this can happen.

After having celebrated Jon's birthday, the first thing on the agenda was a cup of coffee. I stepped out of the bus to be confronted with today's venue; it was extremely surreal. In the horizon and dominating the skyline were the Alps, to my right was a traditional British red phone box and in front of me was one small solitary building that was only slightly bigger than an archetypal Alpine chalet. Admittedly I had been on the jagermeister the night before but this was the only building in the vicinity that my eyes could see and although I had my reservations, it must be the venue of tonight's show.

Looks can very much be deceiving. As I entered the building, I was instantly greeted with a warm welcome from the landlady. I was given a cappuccino and told to sit down and make myself comfortable. The interior was wooden and inside the building looked much bigger. The people of Switzerland have constantly been nothing short of generous and kind to us; friendly smiles constantly beaming from every direction towards us. I asked her where the venue was and she told me next door. I sauntered the short 15 paces it took to reach the adjacent room and was greeted by our tour manager Roberto. He didn't believe that the room would be able to hold 200 people but the promoter Daniel told us not to worry and that recent gigs by Cat Power and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy had both attracted sell out crowds. There would be no problem he told us.

He was correct for although the stage was tiny and instrument swapping became awkward and hazardous, in particular the dangerous passage through wires, stands and amps that faced Kieran when leaving his keyboards after Waiting Game to take his place on the other side of the stage with the bass guitar for Damage, the gig was sensational. The crowd were energetic and singing along to songs from Kick Up The Fire... and extremely responsive to the new songs. All I See Is You being a definite highlight. As we closed the set with Panzer Attack and the sight of some truly crazy people contorting their bodies into the most strangest of shapes, it was hard not to feel sad that this was to be our last gig. Of course there will be more but this was an incredibly important tour for us. We were able to visit countries that we had rarely, and in the case of Italy never, been to and also we were able to see whether The Cooper Temple Clause could exist and tour as a 5-piece. The astounding support we received from every show of this tour will always be remembered and I can safely say that none of the songs or performances suffered from not having a sixth member . We still have a lot of work to do but so encouraging was this tour that there is definitely scope in saying that we could and will probably soon start sounding better than we ever have done. There are now 4 bass players, 3 singers and 2 Kierans. You could not ask or hope for more.

Dudingen rocked and was incredible. We would like to thank everyone who has come to see us. More live shows will be announced soon. Until next time, take care.



06/04/06 | Fisher
Studio, tour, strange new man in photos
A good day to all, hope the weather is treating you as nicely as it is us. As you can see from the photos, we've been back in the studio doing some eleventh hour refinement on some album tracks. The fine young gent you can see lending us a guiding hand is one Dave McKraken, synth-master extraordinaire and all round production wiz, and what a pleasure it has been. Things are starting to kick off here as we gear up for the album release, tracklisting and working on the liveshow being the order of the week so far. A full UK tour should be announced in a week or two, hopefully you're all as excited as we are. The gigs will mainly be fairly intimate, mid-sized affairs, giving us a chance to see all your pretty faces. Watch this space for a gig near you.


14/04/06 | Jonny
Insomniac!
Absolute amazing night last night at the insomniacs ball. Myself and Tom had the most fun ever on the DJ decks and a very messy night celebrating the birthday of Mr K Mahon. Thank you to all who ventured down for the party! We are all very excited about the tour going on sale. As soon as we can we will be letting you know about the supports and other live dates over the summer. Much love. x



02/05/06 | Tom
Rehearsals (Video)
Last week of rehearsals in the Bleakhouse before we head off to London for production rehearsals. Can't wait!

07/05/06 | Jonny
Berlin DJ slot!!!
It's not a day off it's a party!!!


HALDERN AFTERSHOW PARTY May 14th 2006 at SilverWings, Berlin presented by: soundmag.de live: JOHNOSSI (swe) DJs: The Cooper Temple Clause & soundmag DJs doors: 11pm

you can buy tickets at the door. Price: 5euros, 3euros with a concert ticket

address:


SilverWings Columbiadamm 8-10 12101 Berlin Germany



14/05/06 | Tom
Berlin (Video)
So!....


We're back on the road again and it's feeling great! We played our first show yesterday in Berlin and what a great place to start. Great venue, looked a bit like we were playing a circus, and such a great crowd. Thank you so much to all of you who came down.
Managed to get some video footage of "Damage", which is going to be our first release off of our new album "Make This Your Own". See the front page for full details.

If you happen to be in Berlin tonight we will be spinning some tunes in Silverwings from about 12-2. See you down there, if not see you soon.

Tom xxx



22/05/06 | Tom
Sheffield (Video)
You guys were ace! Thank you so much! Such great singing voices, quite overwhelming. Below is a clip of Panzer just before it kicks off, shot from the side of the stage. If you ever wandered what Kieran looks like up close (especially his right arm) this video is for you!


Right, we're on stage in Norwhich in a short while, better go, see you later.

TCTC xxx



24/05/06 | Ben
Reading and Norwich
Big thanks to the people of Reading and Norwich; both crowds were simply awesome. Just arrived at The Bristol Bierkeller and we seem to be minus Mr.Bellamy and Mr.Mahon. I have not seen either of them since monday. I'm sure Tom will arrive shortly but with Kieran one never knows; he is a loose canon. Anyway I'd just like to reiterate our thanks again to all who have seen us so far on the tour, you guys have been phenomenal and your singing voices have been even better. Please keep it up.

Take it easy.



26/05/06 | Ben
Bristol and London
First of all we'd just like to say a huge thank you to Metric and The Race who have both sadly departed the tour. If you didn't get the chance to see them live, I suggest doing so next time they're in your neck of the woods. Both bands rock like a dog on heat.
We'd also like to say an almighty gracias to the beautiful people of Bristol and London. The crowds at each show were electric. Thanks to the Bristol folk who came down to Manhattan to see Tom at the wheels of steel and to the people of London who stayed after the show to party with Alan Mcgee and the boys from Drowned In Sound on the dj decks. It's so good to be back on the road and it is so humbling to see so many passionate bodies in the crowd. We're still adapting to playing as a 5 piece and are getting stronger with each show. But your support has meant so much and the energy generated from the audiences on this tour has been unbelievable, so much better than ever before. Team Cooper is without doubt the best in the world. Thank you so much.
It's the weekend, have fun, have a drink and see you very soon.



28/05/06 | Tom
Birmingham and Nottingham (Video)
Thank you so much to everyone that has been to see us over the last couple of days, it really has been astounding. It was great to meet some of team cooper yesterday after the show when we were djing. Good to see you had your dancin shoes on.
For anyone that was at the Nottingham show, we managed to get a quick blast of damage on the camera, see below. You guys were ace. Thank you. See you soon.

TCTC xxx



03/06/06 | kieran
Glasgow, Preston, Manchester and Leeds (Videos)
A review of TCTC live at Academy 2, Manchester - 31/05/06
Hello Everyone,


I hope you'll be happy to hear that our tour is still very healthy and continues at a vibrant, frenetic pace. A day off was enjoyed in Glasgow where some of us learnt about the pros and cons of poker and others learnt about the distillation process of whisky. The next day was King Tuts which was a great gig and it was fantastic to see the venue so full of happy faces and unbelievable rampant Glaswegian energy. You guys were amazing. The night was continued at a small venue called abc's where Tom and myself caught Radio 4 playing a great show. Unfortunately we were only able to play one Scottish date on this tour and for anyone who was unable to make the trip to Glasgow, I apologise, but we will be back on the road very shortly and we will be coming to get you.

After Glasgow came Preston. We had never been before but were welcomed by an awesome, boisterous crowd. We added a few extra songs to the set and welcomed My Architects and Komakino to the tour. It was after a few glasses that we realised that there was some formal Preston Uni end of term ball happening below our dressing room. It was left to Jon, Tom and myself to go exploring which would have been great if we had been a) invited, b) in smart dress, c) fans of wedding djs and d) amongst friends. Nonetheless a great and very unusual night was had so many thanks to all those who came to see us.

Manchester rocked. Phenomenal crowd with an incredible, unbridled spirit. We were also able to catch up with the almighty Oceansize who were in fine form. As is custom for us, and come to think of it nearly all other bands who play in Manchester, the celebrations continued at Big Hands. Most of the night is a blur apart from the gig which was truly immense.

Leeds last night was easily the hottest gig of the tour, but that was no bad thing. The cockpit was full up and the atmosphere searing. Thanks to those who came to the gig and to those who stuck with us through the aftershow djing experience which was slightly intermittent. I can reassure you it was not our fault but it was great to hear you guys continuing 'intergalatic' in a cappella style, which doesn't happen every night of the week.

As usual our love of cooper enthusiasts has been confirmed over these last few dates and we look forward to meeting more of you tonight in Middlesborough and Stoke and Portsmouth soon.

Below are a couple of videoes Tom took of the crowd in Leeds last night during Panzer Attack. Intense stuff!

Peace and love,

TCTC x




07/06/06 | Ben
Middlesborough, Stoke and Portsmouth
Well we made it. An other incredible tour and yet again awesome crowds. Thank you so much to all those who came to see us, your support was out of this world. We had a brilliant time being back out on the road so as they say in Italy, Grazie!

Middlesborough started with the legend that is Fisher and me finding a television to watch the England game. With both of us being huge Peter Crouch fans, the day kicked off in style with 3 goals from the "tall one" and a couple of funky robot dances. We then made our way to the Empire to soundcheck. The venue was brilliant as it looked like and probably used to be an old theatre hall. After great sets from My Architects and the fabulous Howling Bells, we proceeded to have a blinding time on stage; although the night was slightly tarnished when we discovered later that there had been a huge prick at the back of the hall filling up his pint glass with beer and then throwing it over people in front of him. Why bother? If you don't want your drink, pass it on to someone who does. Anyway the crowd were great and we then partied away at the club night afterwards with a few Burlesque dancers and Middlesborough's finest movers and shakers.
Stoke was intimate, hot, loud and fun. The Underground is a great little gig to play and we always love playing the town. Thanks to all those who came and made it a sunday to remember. Brendan from Howling Bells joined the bus on the way to Portsmouth and a hot debate soon ensued amongst Jon, Fish and myself as to who would play Fish in a film. The correct actor still eludes us but many respected thespians were and still are being considered.

And so to Portsmouth, the final day. The Wedgewood Rooms has always been so good to us and tonight was no different. The support and singing from the crowd was incredible and it was definitely a fitting place to end the tour. After the gig we made our way alongside our first ever tour manager, and tormentor of Kieran's early touring days, Jinky Johnston to Route 66 to see our friend Millsy dj. It was not long before the one the girls in Middlesborough a few days previously had called the "bearded one" got in on the action and spun a few records. Kieran was then removed from the booth and replaced by 2 elder statesmen of rock still dressed as if they were at a Def Leppard concert in 1985. Drinks and chats were had until closing time with Howling bells, My Architects and various new Pompey friends.

All in all a great night and a great tour. Thanks again to everyone who has made this the best tour so far. Many thanks to Metric, Howling Bells, My Architects, The Race, Komakino and others for playing truly inspiring music. I strongly urge anyone who does not own any music by these guys to go out and buy some; you will not be disappointed. Further news with an album release date and the definitive actor to play Daniel Fisher will follow shortly. Take care of yourselves, get a super sun tan and see you soon.




Journal
20/10/06 | Ben
Birmingham
So we arrived in Birmingham feeling extremely sorry for ourselves, but there was no time for sympathy as we had to travel to Kerrang Radio studios to record Homosapiens, Damage and Waiting Game acoustically. Unfortunately my head was feeling extremely detached from the rest of my body so we took quite a while to actually get going. It ended up sounding great and Fish belted out an awesome Waiting Game.

Once finished at Kerrang we hit the pub. Tom desperately needed a drink as did I if we were to recover the infamous tour haze and lose the throbbing pains. Conversation revolved around an old children's tv show called The Really Wild Show due to me being convinced that Kieran's all time hero was and still is, Chris Packham.

There was only going to be one choice for cuisine tonight and that was curry. We took all our crew out and convinced Fish that a madras was really mild as he is not a fan of his spices. He wasn't best pleased but I laughed and laughed at his misery. He will get revenge as he is cunning and full of guile.

The Infadels played before us and I didn't get to see them but met them later and they seemed like good guys. Our gig was great. The crowd as ever in Birmingham were fantastic and carried us through the show. We thank everyone who made the effort to see us and hope you enjoyed Jon and Tom's dj set aswell. After the gig I hit the jagermeisters and have little recollection of what happened. I know I had a good time though...




21/10/06 | Ben
Lincoln
So the Cooper bus arrived in another town that we'd never played before but our crew weren't happy with our late night antics from the Birmingham gig. I pleaded innocence and blamed any wrongdoings on my good friend Kieran as I was awake before him and able to divert all responsibility. Like a snake in the jungle I slithered into the dressing room away from conflict where I would spend most of the afternoon observing Kieran take a pasting and verbal bashing from all quarters. I didn't feel proud of my actions but in light of the abuse he was receiving, I felt completely vindicated.

The Engine Shed is a magnificent venue only recently constructed and definitely one we would like to return to. Despite our being seriously weakened physically after the previous 4 shows and feeling groggy from the night before, the gig was a huge success due to the phenomenal audience. One never knows what to expect when playing a show in a town for the first time but Team Cooper were well and truly alive and made us feel incredibly welcome and both inspired and drove us on. We really loved it so thanks to all those who came.

We had to leave pretty sharpish after the show but not before Kieran did some more apologising; I did feel some guilt but I'm sure I'll get over it.

Thanks Lincoln.



24/10/06 | Ben
Carlisle
Yet again we were to be playing a new city and the Brickyard was to be found in Fisher Street. This gave our Daniel a boost in confidence and fuelled a new found arrogance that he paraded throughout the day. He felt untouchable.

Before the show, not a lot happened. We all felt completely lethargic and bereft of ideas. This often happens after a day off: your body gets confused and your brain becomes inactive. There was only one thing to do and that was hit the pub. I immediately clocked a juke box and put on 10 tracks. The highlights being Talking Heads - Road To Nowhere, Black Sabbath - Paranoid and Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus. The one guilty pleasure that I afforded myself was Tina Turner - We Don't Need Another Hero. That track also initiated a debate as to whether the song featured in Mad Max: Beyond Thunder Dome. Fisher was adamant that it did and seeing as we were on Fisher Street, we believed him.

The gig was colossal. The crowd were stunning and we had a gas. I think Tina had inspired us as we played really well and came off stage ready to party hard. Vodka was consumed by all and it was obvious th
at we were going to wake up in Liverpool feeling very sorry for ourselves...

A great night.



25/10/06 | Ben
Liverpool
For reasons I can't understand, we'd never played Liverpool as often as we'd have liked. With such a rich history of great music and people, it was always a disappointment when we missed out Liverpool. However today was to be different and despite having severe head pains, nothing was going to stop us playing a great gig.

We were playing the Barfly and I was a fan of the venue. The atmosphere was truly electric and I loved every minute of the show. Afterwards John and Tom djed whilst the rest of us necked back shots of sambuca like there was no tomorrow. For me great music, great people and a plethora of alcohol results in a great feast of a party.

I had a fantastic time in Liverpool; unfortunately it was so great, that I can't remember much at all.

All I can say is brilliant.



26/10/06 | kieran
Hull, Leeds and Glasgow
My Dad grew up in Hull and he had told me some horror stories about being thrown over the Humber bridge by bullies and almost drowning in the river. Hence I was experiencing mild trepidation that the same might happen to me. Last time we were here we played the Adelphi, this time it was the Welly and it was a well equipped gig with much aftershow club potential. Our friends at the NME had kindly given it gig of the week too so we expected a good Thursday night crowd.

Hull was no disappointment and my earlier anxieties soon disappeared. The playing was solid and the crowd carried us through it easily. We were only sorry that we couldn't play for longer or come back on after. Post-gig some of us occupied the dressing room with our photographer friend Ami who took some great back stage shots as well as some live performance pictures, whilst Tom and Jon rocked the indie masses in the club downstairs. It was great to hang out with old Hull acquaintances and soon it was time to retire. Myself and Ben managed before leaving to get caught up in some sort of staff closing party from which we were politely asked to leave. Jon apparently spoke to an exotic talking parrot. Such is the magic of tour.

Leeds is a powerful place and that's why we are drawn back there time and time again. The cockpit was as full as last time which was fantastic and the crowd was as responsive as ever. After the show and some late night food we returned to the bar to converse with new and old friends, some of whom could not forgive me for failing to attend a cricket net session earlier in the day. I hope they found the love to forgive in the end. Tour is a place where time organisation is difficult to master. After some 'healthy' pints of guiness the bus was soon moving again to Glasgow for a well deserved day off.

Having been well refreshed with a great day off in Glasgow (a crew and band curry would've been more enjoyable if the 'background' music hadn't been hardcore trance euphoria at a level which made the popadoms gently float, but despite that we still found solace in the Glaswegian-Indian cuisine). I learnt my lesson from last time and stayed away from the whisky bars and looked forward to playing King Tuts with a new found tour energy. Jon and I played some pre-gig tunes to make up for the lack of support (battle were away today, who are incidentally good guys). As usual the tut's was great and there was a healthy amount of Scottish heckling that we've learnt to interpret as positive now, so thank you. Afterwards, we hung in the dressing room enjoying a bottle of whisky we were kindly given by the people of King Tut's and without any further ado we were onto the second Scottish date of the tour, and home to one of Britain's most naturally elevated castles, Edinburgh.



30/10/06 | Ben
Edinburgh
We were due to be playing a festival over the summer in Edinburgh: unfortunately it got cancelled and we were sad that we'd be missing out on the glorious Scottish capital once again. That was not to be the case as October 30th was the date we returned to Edinburgh after a far too lengthy hiatus.

As everyone knows Edinburgh is a beautiful city and Jon and me decided to explore our surroundings before soundcheck. We walked and walked and walked and then realised that we had no idea where we'd come from or paid any attention to the route we'd taken. This was my first mistake; my second was underestimating the capabilities of our rhythm man Jon Harper. He is a human satellite navigation system. He charted our path back by recognising which motorcycles we had passed and then from that taking us down the relevant roads. I feel I am doing him an injustice here by perhaps not depicting his talent as well as I should be. Needless to say it is the first time I have ever seen someone plot a journey simply from stationary motorcycles. Every tour we take, I marvel at a new talent that Jon effortlessly displays.

Soundcheck was good. The venue is great and we were made to feel most welcome by the staff. A few of us then went round the corner and did a mini pub crawl. I missed Battle but Fish said they were on fire.

Our gig yet again, as we have said a few times already but never enough, was charged by the vigorously spirited crowd. They were on fire and completely made the night for us. We all came off stage exhausted and drained but full of smiles as we'd just been given a phenomenal reception by the people of Edinburgh. I was so ecstatic that i threw a grape at Fisher which hit him bang centre in the iris of his left eye. He was not too pleased but I gave him a wink and it seemed to be enough.

After the show we continued our pub crawl. Needless to say we had a great rest of evening culminating in one of the band who shall remain nameless being refused service in a bar from 11.30 onwards and being conned into thinking he was drinking pints of beer instead of actually drinking shandies.

Very funny.



31/10/06 | Ben
Manchester & Cambridge
Manchester has always been brilliant and our Halloween was spent playing the Academy 2. Thank you so much to all those who came to see us. Your city is always a highlight and as ever we ended up in Big Hands. I honestly can't remember much and all I have to go on is a variety of photos of my good friend Dan Fisher looking extremely happy. We have to return soon to your fantastic city.

By the time we woke up in Cambridge, three quarters of the day had already passed. It was a shame that the tour was concluding but we have had such a fantastic time and are really humbled by the levels of support shown to us over the past 3 weeks. It is always impossible to predict what people are going to think of the new songs but every night of the tour has been amazing and the response to Head, Damage, Homosapiens, Connect, All I See Is You and Waiting Game has been astonishing. We're glad you like them.

Thanks again



17/01/07 | Fish
First week 2007.
Hey there Team

We hope all of you are enjoying 2007 so far. As we're sure all of you know, it's not long to go now until the Make This Your Own hits the shelves, January 22nd to be exact. A huge thankyou to all of you who bought Waiting Game, we are as ever forever indebted to you. As we noticed on the forum some of you cheeky scamps have already heard it (remember, whilst we don't actually know where you live, we do know your e-mail addresses - we are watching you), but as for the rest of you we look forward to hearing your opinions on the website. We would also like to take this opportunity to apologise for the teething problems with the new website, and can promise you that heads will indeed be rolling over this one. Your dedication to the site and your presence on it have been priceless in inspiring us through our darkest days and we are working as hard as we can to give you a site which deserves your attention.

To celebrate the release of the album, we will be getting all rustic and doing a short tour of instore perfomances, should any of you wish to come and hear some of the tracks all acoustic-like. Watch out, here come the dates;


Monday 22nd Jan- Manchester Virgin Megastore 5.30 pm
Tuesday 23rd Jan- Cardiff HMV pm
Wednesday 24th Jan- Birmingham HMV 5.30pm
Thursday 25th Jan- Glasgow HMV 5.30pm
Saturday 27th Jan- London, Tottenham Court Road Fopp 5pm

Many thanks also to our dedicated German contingent for support on the Visions Tour, as well as Mothertongue, The Sugar Plum Fairies and The Films. A wonderful time was had by all and we now know how to locate ladies of the night in another language. Not that we would ever want to do that.

We hope everyone who came down to KOKO had an enjoyable evening. Sometimes when the odds are against you and the equipment decides to stage something of a sonic coup d'etat, you end up with a show which is a little bit different, even a little bit special.


Until next time folks, be good to each other
TCTCxxx


26/01/07 | Webmaster
The Unplugged Tour
We came, we played, we drove the van ourselves and lived to tell the tale. With large vehicle handling skills ranging wildly within the band, from reliable excellence and efficiency (Jon Harper) through to kerb-jumping, three wheeling lunacy (Tom Bellamy), the biggest question as we embarked upon this mini tour was whether we'd make it out alive. But make it we did and we'd like to take the time to thank all of you who made it to the in-stores to join us.

For those who missed it, the full set list was and still is as follows:


House Of Cards
Waiting Game
Damage
Take Comfort
Head
Connect
Written Apology

The shows were great and the support from you guys at the signings was nothing short of what we've come to expect from the best fans in the world. Stripping back the songs down to their core was a challenge but ultimately extremely rewarding. We are also happy that you're enjoying the album and hopefully we'll be playing the songs live again very soon. Thanks must also be paid to the staff at the various stores for making us feel welcome and catering to our every whinging need.

As ever, Kieran, Tom and Ben took in the nightlife in as many cities as possible, particularly Manchester (is it actually possible to ever tire of the classic combination of Big Hands followed by Abduls?), whilst Jon battled manfully through a bout of the aztec flu and I read lots of books.

It has been an eventful week and we hope to see all you Londoners down at Fopp on Tottenham Court Road tomorrow. Now that we've actually worked out how to play our songs in an acoustic fashion, we'd like to play a few for you.

Much love,

Dan & tctc


Film of the week: Patton

*Special mention must also be made of the celebrity we met at Keele services. He has been a big influence on us and it was an honour to meet none other than one of the country's biggest heroes, 'Oslo' from the alleged comedy that was Keeping Up Appearances. The legend is still firing on all cylinders and we hope to see him on our television screens again sooner rather than later.


Thanks again



??/02/07 | Ben
Studio
pyjama party's going brilliantly...imagine clint eastwood in his prime hanging out with helmet...it's a strange sonic assault...i'm loving it...entertained some people from Thai magazine Supersweet...we recorded promises promises for them using only our left hands...i have no idea why...Fish's idea to experiment with our weaker hands...give him credit, he's always trying to further himself...a new keyboard part has been added to Their Light and it incredible...the song's taking shape...england tonight...not expecting much...looking forward to smashing everyone's face with ice cold snowballs tomorrow x



08/02/07 | Ben
Studio
snow has kept one of us away from The Bleak House...although we are depleted, we remain strong...working on Smackface...another gem...i knew not to expect much with Mclaren...he is clueless...about as inspiring as a rice cake...tom is putting down some serious brown notes...kieran and fish are at the helm...i'm watching from the shadows...been checking out possible supports...there are quite a few good bands about...some awful ones too but the same can be said about varieties of Walkers crisps...my feet are so cold....



09/02/07 | Ben
Studio
Kieran, fish and me had a very strange menage a trois...i'd best describe it as Nick Cave popping in to see Morricone for a cuppa with the tea and biscuits being supplied by Sommerfield...it's too early to begin to know what to make of it...just read a review from Australia where we're described as Sports Rock...not sure I like that...but maybe I do...it's funny...we've now returned to Smackface...it's superb...it's going to be a live monster...Jon has resurfaced unharmed...he's djing later...my feet are still suffering...kahlua has become our snow drink...i don't know why...Kieran's ignoring me



13/02/07 | Ben
Studio
Bob Dylan's radio shows are awesome...he is a true star...i think i'd do well on a graveyard shift on some little radio station...i'd excel...most of the djs on British National Radio are awful...we're leaving for Europe soon and we have to finish the tracks for the ep...i feel as if i'm in some weird crystal maze meets challenge anneka scenario...probably spelt her name wrong...don't really care though...is that bad?...nah....all i can say is that we're working hard and that mondays never really get me going...geldolf had it spot on.



13/02/07 | Ben
Studio
The Bleak House has been transformed into the most pumping club this side of ibiza...tom has got his dancing shoes on and is having big time fun...happy times...i have invaded Kieran's red room...red hat is in order...there are spiders in here which i will soon reveal to be inspirational or obstreperous...i think Kieran has been sheltering them...we once kept a hamster here but realised it was an unhealthy and totally inadequate enviroment for any living being so Fish took him home and treated him as a son...jon's fixing stuff



14/02/07 | Ben
Studio
Received a gift from a mystery admirer within the band...work continues at a frenetic pace...today attention has been focused on IPB...i'd describe it as an experienced and fragile beast...i'm still occupying the red room...just had a mouthful of bacon...i feel naughty, dangerous and alive...we're getting closer to deciding on the video for Head...going for a walk in the woods



15/02/07 | Ben
Studio
My ears hurt...fish's guitar is louder than the sound of a fat man doing a 50ft bellyflop...it was a late one last night...i believe kieran, fish and tom experienced something dark and chilling that they are never openly going to talk about...they are definitely changed men...IPB has been renamed The Theme From Mayhem...we've sampled the voice of Alan the metal worker from next door without him knowing...genius...he's a proper legend...Red Hat is taking shape...the spiders aren't helping though...it's jon's birthday



16/02/07 | Ben
Studio
Theme From Mayhem is so good...we've got the brass monkeys in...shooting the video next week...eddy should hopefully be playing the remix on his show tonight...i think kevin kline is the man to play fisher...kieran should play me...the red room is slowly making me lose my mind...i will not give it back to the plough without a fight though...talking about whether Sleeping In A Different Room should open the ep...running out of time...



26/02/07 | Ben
Tour
We're in Hamburg. I'm sat next to the one who goes by the name of Mahon...Brussels and Amsterdam were spectacular. It was so good to be playing shows in Belgium and Holland and to anyone who was there, thank you so much for lending your support...we're having a good time...the love affair with jagermeister has continued although Jon has moved on to limoncello...he no longer wishes to associate himself with me...this is not the first time this has happened...the crowds have been brilliant so far. i hope tonight is the same...i like the venue and have just been told that we're the loudest band ever. Stick that where the sun don't shine Deep Purple.



27/02/07 | Ben
Denmark
We've arrived...some of us in better shape than others...we had our first tour casualty last night. The offender shall remain nameless but he has shamed not only himself but his colleagues too...I personally am disgusted by his actions and I hope the people of Hamburg can in time forgive him...the gig was great and the audience deserve a life time's supply of sherbert for being sensational...focus today has been centred around the temperature and the lack of warmth in this beautiful nordic country...soundcheck has been completed but Fish has vanished...I don't think Mayhem's going to make it...



01/03/07 | Ben
Schorndorf
March has hit us hard...shared a hotel with the cast of House...I have no idea why...Tigerland was viewed late last night...I take back what I said about Kevin Kline playing Fisher, I think Farrell is the man...not as good as Patton though...great venue today...looking forward to it...the rain has soaked me..



02/03/07 | Ben
Koln
Schorndorf was a huge success...the people were outstanding and no one broke a bone...we have to return very soon...we are now in Koln...Tim Finn, Midge Ure, Klaxons and 65 Days Of Static are all to follow in our footsteps and play the glorious Prime Club...one of my dreams has always been to see Kieran and Midge link up...could have a similar seismic impact to when Mcartney and Jacko joined forces...for the moment it remains nothing more than a pipe dream...EP has been pushed back to April 9th...jagermeister is slowly dominating this tour and making me feel different...



04/03/07 | Webmaster
Vienna
Cologne was sehr gut...the crowd were beautiful and we had one of our best shows...afterwards we went to some club in the middle of nowhere and I tried to get my good friend Kieran as drunk as possible...it was in this club, all be it after many whiskies that Tom realised he was fluent in German and disappeared into the night speaking the language of Deutschland to many new associates...most of us felt rough as old boots the next day...I've been told to keep an eye on a Norwegian band called Schaefer...i like them...we've just arrived in Vienna...this is the same venue we played with Queens Of The Stone Age...brings back a lot of good memories



06/03/07 | Ben
Fribourg
We have landed in super Switzerland...everyone's breath smells and patience for each other is at an all time low...last night was a heavy one...everyone kept spilling drinks and ash on Fisher...Tom and Kieran djed after our gig in Milan accompanied by the most intense light show I have ever bared witness to...my eyes see only flashes...there hasn't been much sleep since Vienna where the crowd were fantastic...we have to go back very soon...it was good to see familiar faces in Milan...thanks to everyone who came to the last 2 shows...your friendship means a lot...i'm off to sabotage Kieran's keyboards. Wish me luck.



07/03/07 | Webmaster
Zurich
Fribourg is absolutely brilliant...phenomenal crowd and great venue...we had a feeling it was going to be special when we saw the calibre of bands who had preceded us - dEUS, Nirvana, Queens Of The Stone Age...I loved it...also got to watch the football...always a bonus...Fish gave us a few acapella renditions of 90s club classics...a highlight of the tour so far...the Fribourg Friend was also invented which consisted of vodka, jagermeister, grape juice, tonic water and red wine...we're back at the Abart, one of my favourite venues...it should be better than good.



08/03/07 | Ben
Paris
The city of love welcomed us with open arms...one of us got a little bit giddy...it was great to be back in Paris...loved the gig and the club afterwards...Fish and me then found some crazy place which was brilliant...I believe we are returning to France soon which will be a great opportunity for Kieran and me to battle it out as the dominant french speaker within the band...I never lose...I must also mention Zurich. What a great show...wonderful people...I love Switzerland...it's been great being back on the road again. Thank you to one and all for coming to see us. Time to return to the Bleak House to create some mischief



13/03/07 | Ben
Bleak House
We are back...Tom is reworking Once More With Feeling...it's been a crazy few minutes. We've decided that the Knightrider theme tune is a good source of inspiration...it's sounding magical...Kieran is next door programming away like a beaver...everyone is losing it. The sun is out and yet we're inside like albino bats...



20/03/07 | Ben
Cork here we come...
We're about to leave. All I know is that we're catching a ferry to Ireland. I also know the weather is extremely ill at the moment. Things are about to get interesting...this tour is going to be great.