OK - so at the last minute on Thursday just gone, I was asked to step in and street team (read: collect e-mails for) Paul Steel in Bristol. I didn't really know a lot about him, but it's fair to say that as they needed someone to step in at the last minute I got an astonishingly good bribe for doing so... let's just say I won't need to buy too many albums for a little while.

Then I got there and there were about 20 people. And he's on Polydor. Uh-oh. We know what that could mean...

...but that's not why I'm posting. Once he took to the stage, my jaw basically hit the floor for 45 minutes. I think he's 20 now and basically he's ingested every decent thing Brian Wilson has ever done and spat it out as some kind of pop genius. Every time I thought it couldn't get better, the next song would prove me wrong. Then it ended with some Super Furries-style electronic madness and... look, if he plays near you, you HAVE to go and see him. Seriously.

Listening to the sampler CD I got at the gig though, some of it actually reminds me a little of Honeycrack too, if anyone remembers them. Which they should.

Sermon over.

Edit: here you go... go here and listen to "In A Coma"...

:-)))))))))

I see the Polydor album will be his second album this year. That's pretty good going.

His band were amazing too. There was a guitarist who looked like one of the Pipettes who also sang, and two other backing singers/percussionists.

Then occasionally they'd stop harmonising and all jump up and down in unison and, like, 'rock out'. Melodically. I hope people start attending his gigs. He said three people turned up to Manchester the previous evening...

The first album, I'm told, has only ever been out as a promo, but I'll be getting one for working at his gig. It's here but I gather his forthcoming record is much better...

Wow, I really like In A Coma. I've been on a bit of a Beach Boys kick recently. And on his myspace page he lists Jellyfish and Todd Rundgren amongst his influences so he's alright by me. I'll see him if he's playing around my way.

You can still get his first album on Amazon. I'm going to buy it.

For stepping in to do this gig at the last minute, I got a fairly major reward of ... 8 albums! Blimey. Didn't have a huge selection to choose from that I didn't have already. The biggest surprise has been Albert Hammond Jr's album. I'm not a fan of The Strokes at all - but his album is great. Really, properly great.

Paul Steel's album is interesting. I got a copy of his limited edition first record, April and I, which he wrote when he was 16 or something and it's a mini Brian Wilson-esque symphony... about him and an imaginary friend he invents to get him through his formative years. I've been told that his proper first record that comes out in September is much, much better, but I still like this one...

Okay, I did it again! I read what you said and took the plunge. I got April & I for six quid off Amazon.

First up I was amazed at the packaging!!! It's like the kind of children's book we bought Alex & Beth when they first started reading - It's fabulous!!!!!!! I was really knocked out by its uniqueness. (is that a word? not sure. couldn't give a toss - it sums it up gorgeously.)

Then I listened to the album. If that's by a sixteen year old then there's going to be a rather large trilby devoured in the Redfern household!!!! It is very, very good, and if that is a taster for what's to come then, in the vernacular.....

BRING IT ON!!!

This has been another update from theplanetnickmeister. Do not be afraid, I do not wish you harm, earthliings, though my children may by now be questioning my sanity or sobriety.

Click.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I'm on the same street team, so I got tons of emails about this guy's London dates, unfortunately I was busy for all of them.

I'm gonna start doing more for them (my current total jobs done so far = 0) when I'm back at uni in about six weeks...

Glad you liked it, Nick. Wait until you hear "Moon Rock". I just regret giving away the samplers I had to people who, frankly, didn't deserve them.

No, Damian, I *know* you didn't mean *I* didn't deserve one.

But as I have already listened to, understood and inwardly digested my Moon Rock sampler, Nick, would you like me to send it on to you to, er, sample?

You most definitely deserved one, let me make that quite clear!

As to who didn't, probably best I don't elaborate but obviously not anyone on here...

Okay, okay. When you two have QUITE finished your domestic........

Yes please, I'd love to hear it. Thank you very much.

Thank you for my tiny gift. I'd forgotten just how small these promo discs are. I shall enjoy listening to it in bed tonight!

I see he's playing at V on the day I'm there. It doesn't look like he's clashing with anyone else I want to see so I'll check him out. :)

WOW. WOW. WOW. WOW. Go and see this band NOW! The first song they played at V was rather amazing, then there were three that I thought were okay-ish, but the penultimate one and the climax...I wasn't much for all of the songs I heard on his Myspace (and website) the other day so I wasn't expecting too much, but wow again, it wasn't just the songs, but the performance from the whole band...the energy and erm (I'm failing words here) - anyway, along with The Manics, easily the highlight at V yesterday. Again though, a virtually empty tent, it's a shame it had stopped raining, and if only that Manchester gig was next week I'd be there.

The last song's the one with the electronic madness, yes? I just remember that I kept thinking the set couldn't get any better, then it did...

Indeed. Do you know what it's called? Raygun?

No idea unfortunately. Should find out at some point but I think the album might have been put back - there's a single on September 3 though and I've got a load of stickers to hand out at Reading...

I'm quite sure it's called Raygun after reading a few reviews.

April & I has gone up to £12 on Amazon, I was going to buy it but I had a crash on my bike and need to replace that so it'll have to wait for a while. :unsure:

Ooooops! Were you OK after that?

that's a shame!

Oh bum and I haven't bought April & I yet either.

obviously amazon are watching this messageboard and knew there was dinero to be made!
either that or he's about to become well known.

i wonder why really?

Quite lucky really because I landed in the gutter of a main road ('twas a pedal bike) and didn't get hit by a car. Just a few grazes and sprains 'tis all. The cyclist who I had the crash with didn't have anything wrong so that's even better.

I thought I had no more new albums to look forward to this year, but the Paul Steel one is definitely one now. :D

was in the guardian yesterday as one to watch!

He's in session on John Kennedy's show on Xfm tomorrow night (Tuesday 28th)...

October tour dates:

4 - Brighton, Digital
5 - Birmingham, Barfly
6 - Glasgow, Classic Grand
7 - Leeds Brudenell
9 - Manchester, Road House
10 - London, Borderline
11 - Nottingham, The Maze

The Borderline's a really nice venue. And I'm free that day. Mmmm...

You should go. Are you Kid Carpeting tonight?

No, I don't feel well. I'd love to see him, but I'll just be coughing and knackered.

Rats. I hope you get better soon.

He plays Bristol virtually every other week if you and Dan ever want to visit. We've got two KC gigs in the near future...

Dang...I could usually make the Birmingham or Manchester gigs, but I fly to Barcelona on the 5th and come back on the 9th. I'll have to find out if the flight returns early enough for me to make the 9th...

There are three dates supporting Air Traffic too:

24 Sep 2007 Academy w/ Air Traffic Oxford
25 Sep 2007 Electric Ballroom w/ Air Traffic London
30 Sep 2007 Academy 2 w/ Air Traffic Liverpool

Ray Gun live video:
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/music/sessions/pa...el.html?id=3760

Others are there too. :D

I was watching those last night. Give the interview a miss though... it's absolutely teeth-gnashingly excruciating, by no fault of his. Odd really, as Tiscali have got access to people who know their stuff - the bloke in charge of the Clearlake gig they did was excellent.

April & I is worth buying for the packaging alone, if you can call it that. I didn't realise it'd be a cardboard-paged childrens book.

It confused my Mum...while I was on holiday I told her to expect a package from Amazon addressed to me containing a book I'd ordered for her, she thought the Paul Steel book/album was her book. :D

:) I forgot what Nick said about the packaging as well. It's cool, but it doesn't fit on my CD shelves, which outweighs the coolness.

I introduced a special shelf for CDs that didn't fit on the usual shelves, but that's slightly too small for this Paul Steel one. Though the coolness outweighs this for me.

This is Paul Steel, and this means his tour has been cancelled. :(



I've lost £12 because he's supporting Air Traffic tomorrow and refunds are only given if the headline act cancels. I'm not going all the way to Liverpool just for Air Traffic. :P

He did injure himself during the set-closer Ray Gun though, so fair enough...

Ohhhhhhhh (out loud)

The new album has been delayed until March now. <_<

Sparkwood from Austin, Texas are rather good. It's similar to what Paul Steel is doing at the moment, and they're signed to Excellent Records in Japan, the same label as Silver Sun!

www.myspace.com/sparkwood
www.sparkwood.com

I like Bop Bop Song the most.