Republic of Hergé

OK, so I was bored.

Today, I am mostly reading...

... the Radiohead studio blog.

"three steps back. Undo, UNdo, Oh Shit, you can't."

Yeah, man, I know what you mean, we're like brothers, man...

'Nuff Corrugation

Outside Scream Studios, Brighton.

Mr. Duffy's Official Enquiry

Recent events in the live performance arena have led to an official enquiry the results of which are extracted below.

...
Hair product is dangerous and should be used sparingly else blindness is known to ensue. Pomade is not a reasonable alternative, and for those with unruly hair it's a trip to the barbers or the retreat into those velvety fibrous curtains. Sweat remains a hazard even when the unfortunate performer has few pretentions to tonsorial excess. A headband may be of use on such situations - why not try one of the modern absorbent fabrics? - but may have significantly deleterious effects on the visual appearance of said performer. We cannot emphasise enough that SWEAT and MAINS ELECTRICITY are poor bedfellows.

Calisthenic and gymnastic exercise on the stage is another route to injury or severe death. The modern performer finds himself astride a collection of cables apt to confuse the most ardent of escapologists, and musicians - no houdini's we - are liable to translate this state of affairs into the most vexatious incidents. We are not averse to the physical representation of the excitement of the moment - within limits and the ambient standards of propriety - but warn readers that breakages must be paid for, if not monetarily, then in the reputational and morale based currency on which we are properly understood to trade.

Equipment should be well maintained and cared for,especially afore a public performance! The use of polishes on guitars, to prevent the appearance of grime, sweat or blood stains is recommended for all but the most slovenly of players. Valve amplification is a dark area. A proper understanding of such devices is beyond your scope if you have opted to ply your wares as a musical performer - know your limits! - but at the least care should be taken transporting and locating these machines. Alas we understand that unfortunate malfunctions are inevitable. It is best to carry a spare guitar player in case of uncontrolled leakage of voltage. Do Not try to re-wire or otherwise re-start the damaged guitarist. You may cause damage to the guitarist or yourself.

Rigorous Scientific Testing

Rest assured that every Republic of Heaven demo track, before becoming a product available for gluttonous aural consumption, is thoroughly tested on animals.
[Thanks to SteveH for the video!]

Mr. Duffy's Old News

Being an organised bunch, we got Giles to write a little bulletin about what's going on with the band - gigs, recording, and the like. We then sat on it until it became almost completely irrelevant.

ThisIsTheNews

Following their adventures in Charlbury and an eventful return to the Pressure Point RoH are hidden from public view and working on their first ep release.

Charlbury Festival you can read about on the Website - The Pressure Point saw much of their equipment break, fail, malfunction or vomit but the evening was saved by a great crowd and has been officially deemed a success. Many thanks to those who supported the band at this and other events over the summer.

Details regarding the ep are currently limited but we understand that it will contain a handful of songs drawn from recent live sets and that it has been recorded in a farmhouse in deepest Sussex. The band have kept a journal of their recording which will be posted on the web once translated.

The recording is thought to be packaged with a generous and intriguing booklet of artwork, will be available on Compact Disc format and is currently being mixed and finalised. Whilst this industrious activity takes place there will be few opportunities for live performance although a free gig is believed to be in the process of being arranged for some time in early October.

We will of course endeavour to provide more details as and when they are verified.

Love

RoH

Tablet Analysis

Email received from a colleague, apropos of absolutely effing nothing.

Talking to other parents about the tablet

"My GP gave me those little pink ones, valium I think he called them. They're marvellous. Go wonderfully well with a G and T! I'm so relaxed that I forget to eat, so that's a good thing innit, as my new Gucci jeans are a size 8. Don't tell anyone; I don't want them to think I'm a complete porker!"

Brighton Live! No dead!

We've an email from the lovely Si at the Cable Club.

"CABLE CLUB BRIGHTON LIVE SHOWS
IN ASSOCIATION WITH RESIDENT RECORDS
AND OFFSPRING SNEAKER EMPORIUM"

I played in an inter-band football competition against the staff of the Offspring Sneaker Emporium with my last band. I think they beat my team into a bloody pulp.

"WED 5 OCT AUTUMN RED / REPUBLIC OF HEAVEN / THE RACE /THE RECOIL
doors 8pm FREE admission"

Brighton Live is great. The city forgets to be teeth-grindingly cool for a whole week, while local bands, DJs, labels and promoters pour live music out of every pub, club and venue in town. Industry folk tool around slurring sage, drunken advice. Demo panels pan demos. Men with black hair down to their knees pretend they used to be in Killing Joke... and a good time is had by all.

Lots of the gigs are free, like this one. The mighty giants of rock that are Autumn Red headline, we' re on next, and The Race and The Recoil begin proceedings.

Being a Cable Club night, it's at the Pressure Point. Resident Records are on the wheels of the bus go round and steel.

Rock, and... rock.

The MK249C

Never email Mark about electrical equipment.

Subject: Re: stuff and ting
From: Mark Sandeman
Joe wrote:
>
> P.S. I bought one of these on eBay:
> http://www.evolution.co.uk/pub/manuals/mk249ceng.pdf
>

I love this:
"There are three methods of powering the MK249C. *Only use one method at one time*"

... otherwise you might like provide too much power and like it might turn into the most powerful machine in existence and like take over the world and shit and it'll be all your fault and the police will trace it through the national grid to your house and come and get you but they can't because the MK249C has taken you hostage because it's grown legs and doesn't need its three power sources any more, it can just draw power from overhead powerlines like that thing in Superman 3 and the only way to stop its quest for more power and destruction of human beings would be to get past its energy force field and press middle C but you can't because the leads that it uses to connect to your PC have become like weird limbs that can wrap round you like ivy and hold your hands next to your body and you're having waking nightmares about the times you should have been listening in communal music lessons as a kid because you can't remember which one middle C is anyway and perhaps they told you about MIDI monsters too but it's all academic now as the limb-leads get tighter around your torso and your eyes begin to bulge out of your head under the pressure and and and...

Mr. Duffy's Recording Diaries

A Sussex country farmhouse, April. Republic of Heaven record their debut EP. What happens? Who survives? Find out in Mr. Duffy's Republic of Heaven Recording Diaries!

2nd April 2005

And so, to the countryside. Arrived around 2pm and ate luncheon. Cat moulting and dribbling. Weather clement. Electrical equipment and recording/computational devices to be unloaded forthwith. Computer initially vexatious. Problem resolved.

Pope unwell.

1st May 2005

Hot sun beating down. No shade. Anywhere. Water has bromine in it. I don't think I can cope with the isolation for much longer. Many sounds of drums in the distance. What terrible creatures make such sounds?!? Must go now to preserve my ***** and energy.

8th May 2005

Much confusion. Giles falls asleep in the drum room and both he and Toby are flatulent to some degree. Joe takes caffeine and is psychedelic. Mr S. mans the desk and is masterful. And so, to bed.

24th May 2005

Joe plays the bass with his mind and fingers to guide us on our way. It rocks but we're going to delete it all because we can. Mark's car breaks down due to accidental deletion of karma.

28th May 2005

More recording and then we venture into the tiny Sussex village to the pub. The lanes are dark and eerie. Walking back, shadows from trees, and a break reveals the soft shine of the infinite terrible cold from whence the ancient ones will one day come to eat our brains. We shelter in this farmhouse and make sounds to ward off the night, endless night...

30th May 2005

Giles is playing the electric kangaroo, miking up leg tendons. "C'MON... WORK!" Strange animals both. AUDIO RECORD ERROR. The world ends. We break for lunch. After chicken ham parmesan pizza, we increase buffer size and all is well. Giles is Swedish.

4th June 2005

A dreadful laxitude has overtaken Mr S. and I am at a loss to explain his Godforsaken appearance. Mr H. will join us later in the weekend but I am not optimistic regarding our condition upon his arrival. Eventide we retire to the water. Bugs in the pool.

5th June 2005

Joe came and played very loudly on Supernature, not so loudly on Minotaur, and positively quietly on West Country Witch. Noise is good. Progress is happenning - we keep recording stuff, and so life goes on. And on. In some strange kind of light-headed recording zone, everything is one etc., except for the clarinet, which is an alien being with many hidden eyes. I feel like the songs are taking shape and sounding more like the signals in our heads.

26th June 2005

A glorious day. Much glorious playing of riffs and licks by Messrs Duffy and Sandeman. Hr Holmberg's bass sounds glorious too. How he make dat noise? Glorious weather. Glorious pizza. This truly is the republic of heaven. Glorious.

2nd July 2005

Found Laney in the garage in a terrible state. It took two of us to carry her inside but she just made terrible cholking noises. God only knows who can help her.

3rd July 2005

World closed.

16th July 2005

Joe is done with his basslines. Angelshare is the last one. He put it down like a sick dog. Elsewhere, MJS is going to sing, and an inhumanly hungover Tobias will be pushing buttons. Will we make it through the day...? A twenty-five pound conga eel for Jim on the high seas today.

23rd July 2005

Scratching of ears.

Sing like an angel - bark like a dog.

24th July 2005

a.m. - Mucus you're worth it.

p.m. - Messrs Duffy and Sandeman lose their ears behind the sofa and recording cannot take place until they are found. An attempt is made to sing through the wires, but there's nothing to catch the sound into the right holes. Crappy noise generator doesn't work like normal, so he keeps his mouth shut until next time.

Misadventures in IRC

Sk00d00X: Hi!
Joe: hi...
Sk00d00X: You like Godspeed!
Sk00d00X: You Black Emperor?
Joe: umm
*** Joe has quit #DruggedUpAndRoyallyWellHung