SUMMER TOUR INFO RANT 1

I wonder just how many times I have caught the train from the village up to the big smoke? How many miles have I covered in this one same journey? How many trees have i passed? How many faces have I seen? Has there been more sunshine or rain? I’d think there has been more rain for sure, yeas I’m certain of it.
It wasn’t raining when we started this summers run of festivals. it was a warm 20 degrees and everything and everyone seems so much happier when the sun shines. Good old mr Seritonin, sprinkling his warm rays of feel good over everybody.
We traveled by tour bus to a festival just outside Nancy in France, I forget the name already. I slept long after watching a film about a high bred mutation cross between a shark and an octopus causing terror along the California coastline, the film was called Sharktopus and it was truly terrible. I woke up to the sun shining but I could tell the breeze was cooler than it had been back in the UK. I could see dust swirling around and over everything as I stepped from the bus to see what nosh was being served. Everyone complained about the pasta and salmon so I had lasagne instead which was ok. The smoking ban doesn’t mean shit in France and the backstage was already a fog of second hand grey belch smoke so I avoided most of it by spending time on the bus drinking coffee and watching a two part film/documentary dramatisation about the year 1066 and the battle of Hastings. I visited the battle grounds last year and did the tour so thought I might as well touch up some more on this factual event that happened, It’s good to learn about stuff that happened ages ago seeing as I live in a modern bubble of mostly mindless information 245 hours a day.

I did an interview with the G man which was a bit dull as some interviews can be, I tried to lighten it up by saying the next album was all being made by German oompah musicians, but the journalist and the translator didn’t have a clue what I was talking about, I mainly just said yes and no after that.
By the time we went on stage it was cold, not one bead of sweat fell from my brow and I saw people wrapped in blankets watching the show the muffled mitten applause we received  kind of summed up the show. We felt like playing for another hour but time restrictions had us by the balls so 57 minutes was all they got. A couple Heinekens were supped after the show as we awaited for the bus call. The bar man for the backstage area had obviously had a few too many slurps of the local moonshine and had a pretend chicken on his bar of which he romantically slid a durex over it’s beak with care and attention and then shoved it up his ass to mine and Danny’s amusement. Silly French bugger. After that we left and went home.
I am Dave Pen

ARCHIVE UK TOUR BLOG

After running like a mad man up escalators with my suitcase above my head I finally made the 1.05 train. Sweating like a fully clothed Arctic explorer in a Turkish steam room and with no English money and a hunger growl in my guts I searched through my bag for a snack, I found a Cadburys crunchy, so scoffed it as quickly as possible, I also had water which was heaven sent. The party on the tour bus home had lefe me some what parched in the hydration department. The weather was pleasant for ten minutes or so then I saw streaks of water running down the train windows, bloody rain I thought, just a bit of sunshine would be nice. but I guess we need it. I made the the game walking along the sodden pavements and witnessing two guys throwing their guts up just in front of me reminded me it was football on a Saturday of course. Bad pint? Bad pie? Bad pills? Good Pills? The game against West Ham ended up a 1 – 1 draw and was rain sodden and drab.  We Tried to go to the theatre but the little Hitlers ruined it as they took our food order in the restaurant then said we hadn’t pre-booked a reservation to eat even though we’d booked tickets for the show and the restaurant only had 6 people in it!! , It completely threw the night into a whirl as we were so hungry so we got a refund on principle and didn’t see the play. I was tired, I wanted sleep. I ended falling asleep in the cinema watching A Late Quartet starring Christopher Walken.
A nice few days to recover from the recent jaunts to Germany and France was almost had but could have done with a few days more and my OCD played a part in these days off. My garden was it’s victim and is now looking fresh, bright and ready for the British Spring and Summer, so more rain then. I swear that a cat is trying to destroy the grass. I celebrated another  year on Planet Earth and was rewarded with some practical gifts, Some new treads and a new hoover, see below. Trendy cleaner, good rates, will perform thorough job.

After cleaning the house I left to catch an evening train up to London to leave for some shows in Great Britain and Ireland. How exiting I must say, and about time too. Glasgow was brilliantly rain drenched and the crowd were great, I couldn’t resist a few pints of Mc’ewans eighty afterwards with a good old friend.

A double espresso with hot milk and a little water is going down nicely. I’m sat on the tour bus which is parked up on Camden high street. We are playing a venue called Koko tonight. The bus is empty as most of the band have buggered of home seeing as we are in London. We played Manchester last night which was one of those sweat feast filled gigs, both the Manglebird’s and my hair flopped out like an old flock of seagulls, looked like a right couple of teds we did, ridiculous!!. The gig was great and apparently a member of the Happy Mondays was carried out of the show legless. True? I dunno maybe it’s one of those things people say so it keeps the Mecca of Manchester’s music scene filled with stories. I hope it was true though. A nice ale was supped after with the boss of good old Eve studios and chat was warm and positive. A big cheers to all who have ventured from near and far to see us on this leg of the tour so far, I’m loving playing in Great Britain, It feels like home.
London was  a really great show and a real milestone for us to have played Koko to a sold out crowd. Friends and families were with us to celebrate afterwards which is always a bonus. Onto Dublin  for the first time and it was brilliant, a tight stage, possibly the smallest stage we have ever played on gave the gig and extra edge and the atmosphere was great.The night was full on and after finding the tour bus in a taxi that didn’t know his way around Dublin I slipped into my bunk as the sky became light and slept all the way home.
I am Dave pen

SORROW VIDEO

Am loving the video for the Ltd Edition single release of the song Sorrow. Big thanks to Benjamin Lussier and Freakz Films for their hard work in making it.

A few limited edition singles remain for purchase at http://www.birdpen.com/shop

I am Dave Pen

ACROSS THE BOSPHORUS

Am on route to Turkey for two shows in Ankara and Istanbul, I had the middle seat which is never a great thing as the fear of waking up in a dreary state with gob slobber leaking out over the shoulder of the person to either your right or your left, plus you head tilts back and your mouth opens and you just never know what fall into the cavern of an unconscious open mouth man.The in-flight movie was rubbish, it lasted the whole flight and was a poor silent movie of an animated plane flying across a huge map. I snoozed ate a ready meal and read my book.
We arrived to a chaotic airport , paid a tenner to get into Turkey and then joined a huge line to get a stern stamp of the passport. For the first time we have a sleeper tour bus for the long drive to Ankara and then back to Istanbul. Te bus was a bit like a massive Chalet on wheels with bunks straight out of a Nineteen Seventies looking Ikea, which probably makes them “modern”. No quilts just blankets which seemed a bit St Johns ambulance which made me feel safe but slightly Chilly and vulnerable. I managed to sleep and was awoken by the song of prayer blaring out as the sunshine shot through the window in my bunk. I realised after getting up that we were parked directly next to Ankara’s biggest mosque which was a magnificent structure. See pic below:

For some reason the ball of my right foot is hurting, A lot!! I have no idea why. This section of this blog was written in the hotel lobby and Dan is sat opposite me. Info again in a bit, Might explore a little.

I explored Ankara and managed to pick up a Turkish copy of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I am collecting this brilliant science fiction novel and am now up to 4 copies, 2 English, I english with some German annotations, and an analysis in German at the end of the book. (which i’m still waiting to be delivered) and now a Turkish copy, all have different covers of course. A Turkish Version:

The show  at the Jolly Joker in Ankara was loud and on the edgy rocky side. it was good to get one under the belt before the German tour and the festival season begins and the fans there were excitable and cheerful . A few gremlins in the system here and there which is always common with first shows when getting out on the road.
I managed to get some fairly decent sleep and wrapped myself up in scarf and hoodie with the hood up for extra warmth obviously the St Johns ambulance blanket was used to full effect so I wrapped myself up like a cocoon and drifting off in a covonia induced sleep. I woke up in the morning with the sun blazing in through the window and sweat pouring from my legs and head, still wrapped in the now ultra snug slightly hotter than the sun cocoon. I got up had a coffee went to the hotel and heard that North Korea had declared war on South Korea. “goes around and around and around, but….Only the names change.” There was also an African grey parrot in the lobby whistling away and he seemed happy so I focused my attention on him instead. I’m writing this back stage whilst a game of back gammon is being played, the dice are very small and are making a quite some what irritable chinking sound every time they are rolled. Will carry this on later.
The show was great and the fans in Istanbul were excellent so a massive thank you to you all. Drinks were had after back at the hotel on the roof garden looking out over the Bosphorus. Europe one side and Asia the other, quite awesome that just a bridge divides the two.

A little bit of sleep on the smooth flight back to the UK which is still really cold so am still having to wear a scarf and winter coat, all of the time when venturing outside. Hopefully the animals that have been sleeping all winter are building a plan as to not be too freaked out when they wake up and realise that it still feels like winter out there.
Am finishing this blog off at home just before setting out the door to catch the train to London to leave for the German part of this spring tour. A few changes within the set-up are now settling in as we continue on our journey into the unknown through amplified music. See you in a bit then yeah.
I am Dave Pen

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE LYRICS

I’ve had a few enquiries from lands near and far asking for the lyrics for songs from Robin Foster’s Where Do We Go From Here album. To oblige the reading minds of the fans who asked, here they are:

A COLLAPSING LIGHT

I got nothing you’ve got something and it’s all I need

You got feeling I got stranger a collapsing light

You went searching I got lost

You found hope I ended up

Going on and on and on and on

 

Captured feelings locked them up

Sent them away from my heart

Left you standing in the dark

With the hurt tearing you apart

Going on and on and on and on

Going on and on and on and on and on

 

Called out empty saw it fall

Felt so heavy under it all

Saw the night of a hundred souls

They were wondering all alone

A reflection of my own

Left me singing my own song

Round in circles chewing up

Everything that I’ve lost

Everything that I’ve lost

Going on and on and on and on

Falling down inside I’ve gone and lost myself

…………………………………………………………………………………

CONCRETE SKIES

All these heights are so tall

They cover me tonight as I fall

Through structures to the cold ground

I feel lost in the muted life of this town

With hope I’ll carry on with the dawn of light by my side

 

These machines gather speed

Creeping up on me as I run away

Though the streets and red slip floors

Souls trapped in silence

There is nothing here no more

With hope I’ll carry on with the dawn of light in my eyes

 

Skeletons in wire and dust

Frames of lies and blood all rise above

Panic high all doors are locked

This blinding god controls everyone of us

This blinding god controls everyone of us

This blinding god controls everyone of us

With hope I’ll carry on with the dawn of light by my side

With hope I’ll carry on with the dawn of light in my eyes

With hope I’ll carry on with the dawn of light in my eyes

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

FORGIVENESS

I remember the first time

It made me feel I was leaving

To find light to begin

I had to forget and keep moving

Let the days fade my emotions slip into nothing

They slip into nothing

They teach us to prey forgiveness

But I won’t swallow what they feed us

No more no more

 

I’ll carry this rock

This old dead weight

like a noose around my broken next

Won’t fall down to the ground

This will be my lonely end

My soul time

My time

I won’t run away won’t hide away

They teach us to prey forgiveness

But I won’t swallow what they feed us

No more no more

………………………………………………………………………………..

WAIT FOR HER

I don’t know why she makes me feel alive and leaves me under hypnotised

I will go to the end I won’t fall I’m not here to let you go

You will shine forever high above my world you seal the cracks in me

We eclipse the facts of loosing time

We unite with our hands holding tight

But time is running out out time is running out time is running out

Time is running out time is running out I will wait for her

 

I don’t know how she opens up my soul and leaves me free to breath

I will go forever on and through the storm I won’t say no

I feel you from miles away

I feel you always

But time is running out out time is running out time is running out

Time is running out time is running out I will wait for her

Time is running out out time is running out time is running out

Time is running out time is running out I will wait for her

I will wait for her I will wait for her I will wait for her

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

BLACK MOUNTAIN

I’ll wait for you in the drought down by the faint flowing river

Slowly breathing in and out

I’ll be there at the end

Looking up at you

Looking up at you

 

I’ll call for you through the storm and the worlds broken and fragile pieces

Like a siren  Sounding out  your heart

 

Looking for you Looking for you

Looking for you Looking for you

For you

………………………………………………………………………………………

I am Dave Pen

 

 

RUNNING INTO 2013

I feel the pounding of my feet, the pulsing of my blood, the driving of my mind as I climb the steep hill after eight miles.  I find slowly counting to a hundred helps me with my Zen like state when the steep inclines hit me where it hurts. I control my breathing, I keep moving on. It’s a buzz.  Running works for me.

I’ve been training hard the last few months and was thrilled to complete my first ten mile race. I came in at one hour, nineteen minutes and fifty four seconds. I’m happy 1954 was in there, cheeky little number likes to pop up now and then. I am starting to feel that many more endurance challenges will be on the horizon for me and I don’t just want this to be all for me, I aim to start trying to raise money for charities as well. More news on these adventure/endeavours will be posted when they are planned.

January was used for not only training to accomplish this race but also for writing, recording and performing.

As the cold snap nipped away like an arctic crocodile two brilliant recording/writing sessions were completed with Archive in a remote studio in the Cambridgeshire countryside. I’m gonna keep the vibe of it under wraps for now as I don’t want to let the wild boars snuffle the truffles too soon… or maybe it’s a mushroom of some sort only found in the forest. Expect more wild animal and vegetable news on this soon.

It was good to then get a show in at the Midem festival down in Cannes in France. Of course once the long, long journey was completed and we had arrived. I woke up to rain and a cold breeze whipping up across the beach and marina. The sun did come out later whilst catching up with the Kendal mad man that is Robin Foster. We had coffee and spoke about the film Metro Manila that had just won the Audience Award for World Cinema Dramatic at Sundance Film Festival. This was great news as Robin created the music for the soundtrack and also the lead song, which is called Life and Death, which was co-written and performed, by Robin and myself.

Click to watch a live version of the song below:

 

The Archive show was a short, tight energy filled hour and ten gig, and it was a nice privilege to headline the festival. After a quick sip and some chat we all then climbed back on the tour bus for what ended up as a twenty three hour long journey for me to get home and through my front door. Lots of Who documentary was needed and kept us entertained on this trip. Pete Townshend’s autobiography “Who I am” has kept me company the last few weeks and has been a brilliant insightful read and I highly recommended it to any music fan or fan of The Who.

So into February we go, lots of stuff happening this month but that will be in another blog.

Went to The Garlic Farm after the race, stinky victory’s all round yeah.

I am Dave Pen

MAKING PLANS FOR NIGEL

I was sat on the train, the whole of the south coast and most of the UK covered in a blanket of snow, I was reading Pete Townshend’s autobiography, my phone rang. It was Smiley, a good friend and fellow musician “Hello mate I’m on the train so it might cut out” I said, “Oh, so you haven’t heard the news then?” He said, “No” was my sinking feared reply…”Saints have just sacked Adkins mate”. I thought he was winding me up as he is a Chelsea fan and our last game saw us come back at Stamford Bridge from two down and to draw the game. I knew he was telling the truth when he said I’m listening to it on talk sport. My stomach dropped, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was truly shocked.

A man that has taken the saints up in two consecutive seasons back into the premier league from the lower end of league one, A man that has the best win-loss record in Saints history, A man that has always been sincere, intelligent and honest, A man that the fans respect and feel admiration for, And now a man sacked for no apparent reason  (“relieved of his duties”) and to be replaced by Mauricio Pochettino from Argentina that not many people down here on the south coast had ever heard of.

In truth we all know how fickle football is in the 21^st century, how quick and easy it is for owners and chairmen to bear no regard for the fans thoughts and feelings. After all we the fans only make up something like forty percent of the players wages, the rest coming from sponsorship and television rights etc. But we the fans are the voice of it’s team and the ever present cheering, singing, paying force, combined travelling thousands of miles and spending millions of pounds to support their team. Some teams have regard for the fans and listen and encourage involvement, but it seems that more and more clubs are just about big headlines and big money. What makes me sad and angry is that how we can just replace the manager on a whim.

As a football club the last few seasons for Southampton have been some of the best for me, ploughing our way back from the brink of liquidation, rebuilding and growing again as a club. Both Alan Pardew and now Nigel Adkins sackings have come as a shock and totally out of the blue when results have been good and the football being played at a quality of what we the fans like to see and enjoy. The growing and building of the team under Adkins has been brilliant and has had a true spirit that the fans have all felt part of. I guess in a slightly romantic way that is why I like football, from when you’re a young lad playing in a team, you belong to something and share the same goals as every other player that you all want to win. That’s what we have had down here at St Marys, we the fans have felt part of the whole team. To then have it ripped to shreds by sacking the manager seems hugely unfair.

I know that in the modern game there isn’t a lot of room for sentimentalities and football is a “here to day gone tomorrow type of sport” but the alienation of the chairman towards the fans with this decision is what’s unjust about it. To not appear in the press conference with Mauricio Pochettino for his first interviews shows a slight cowardice to me. Also for Pochettino to say he has been studying the team for weeks shows that this appointment has been on the cards for sometime. Whilst Nigel Adkins and the team were loosing just two of their last twelve games and pulling away from the relegation zone Nicola Cortese was planning his replacement.

Yes good teams and clubs need good business heads behind them, but surely communication has to be a priority. To feel powerless for something you feel so much passion for like the Saints fans feel for this club is a horrible feeling and by the looks of it something we should all get used to. I find this sad but Football in the year 2013 is just about results, not feelings.

The internets social media side is everybody’s soapbox and it was good to see how many people do still have feelings in this game and I hope Nigel Adkins saw how much he will be missed down here in Southampton and how respected he is as a man and a football manager.

Mauricio Pochettino has been thrown into the football headlines in the worse possible way and I just hope his moment of fame in England is better than the penalty he gave away whilst playing for Argentina against England in the 2002 World Cup.

I am Dave Pen

W.U.U.Y.D Tour Photos

Here are some random snaps from this Autumns Archive Tour..Click ,Snap, Etc!!

A ROOM WITH A VIEW

ALL IN ALL

CANCEL THAT

DAVE & DEATH

DON’T THROW STONES

EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME

FUNNEL

GREEN SCREEN

INTERGALACTIC

LET THERE BE LIGHT

LONG LASTING

LOOK AWAY CHILDREN

LORD NOYCE

MY NAMES ON YOUR BULLET

NIGEL’S SOUNDCHECK TIME

OVER HERE

PIGS BEWARE

POINTS & PROPHETS

POSTER FACE

ROADS

SHOE FACED

SMAK

SONIC CATHEDRAL

SPACE INVADER

STAIRWAY TO KEVIN

THANKS

THE BRIDGE

THE CHAMPIONS

THE CHEERING CROWDS

THE SEAGULL

TO LEAVE YOU MY DEAR

TONY’S PLACE

TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHT

WAITING

WHO?

YOU ARE FREE TO GO

YOU SAID IT

ARCHIVE W.U.U.Y.D TOUR BLOG DISPATCH 6

So after the smiling faces of Italy we headed into Austria. A last day off in Vienna before seven shows in a row was had in the company of a huge American sports bar filled with television screens beaming sports from all over the world for our first stop. We ate like tourists and drank like the English. Then we moved on to a more traditional drinking establishment which was a lovely old Viennese bar, we snuggled in there for a few more hours then went and wondered around looking at the sites of Vienna in the cold air of the night and stopping in many more bars. The show on the Monday night was awesome and the crowd were really up for it, which was fantastic for a Monday show.

Into Poland we went after that and as always the Polish were so welcoming to what we do and the two nights in Gdansk, were we’d never been before were special. The club we played for two sold out nights was filled from top to bottom of faces looking at us from all angles; everywhere I looked there were people watching.

Into Prague to sleep for a long time and wake up on an empty bus so I went strolling around the city before the show.

One of the most smoky gigs I’ve ever done I reckon. The ban hasn’t quite caught on in the Czech Republic yet!! A rowdy and fuzz filled show was played and a slightly crazy looking massive bearded man jumped up and down in front of me for pretty much the whole show which was a bit odd. Maybe I should lose my beard soon?

Back on the bus for half of us as half the touring party jumped on a plane to get back to Homeland as soon as they could. I snuggled into my bunk for the long journey and slept like a massive log.

Back in Homeland now writing this after a night in a nice hotel before the final Archive show of this tour and 2012.

I’m listening to Scott Walker’s new album. It makes me think of what Larry David might sound like if he decided to go into a music studio whist on really strong hallucinogenic drugs. His new album is really intense but has also made me smile.

The sun is shining here in London

I am Dave Pen

ARCHIVE W.U.U.Y.D TOUR BLOG DISPATCH 5

 Ok so I’m sat in a nice quaint hotel in Rome. It took us all day to get here and the roads around where we are staying is like a catwalk for bony birds to prance down so certainly a near on fifteen/twenty ton tour bus wasn’t gonna slip down these streets.

I need to re-cap where I’ve been what I’ve done what I’ve seen for this blog.

Our shows in France have now finished and we had a fantastic time as always touring the familiar country. The Zenith shows I have to say were up there with some of the best shows I can remember playing. The energy was amazing and the crowd were fantastic.

This tour has flown pass and we are now over the other side of the hill with eleven shows remaining. I have a bet with Smiley we won’t see any snow fall on this tour and so far I’m winning. The winner gets an Irish Coffee, nice.

On the film front I’m gonna have to think hard about what I have watched since last time. Here goes:

Marwencol – 8/10

The Woman in Black 7/10

Apocalypse Now – Redux Edition 9/10

Beyond the Black Rainbow 9/10

Red State 3/10

Beasts of the Southern wild 8.5/10

Aaaaannnd I have to confess in a pure bored and nerd horror state of mind I watched all four Phantasm Movies and I give the whole collective of movies an 8/10 rating and Hank from Breaking Bad is in all four of them, total bonus!!

At this point in time I can’t remember what else has happened lately which means I will carry this on very soon.

Amsterdam was a good day off and a great show and a bonus to have some of my hometown crew come out and see Archive play. I like Holland a lot and wondering around the streets of Amsterdam is always a total treat. On our day off we had some muffins and went to see a movie “Beasts of the Southern Wild” see score above. I then searched out a nice bar I have visited every time I’ve been to Amsterdam and got snuggled in for some beers and laughs. I love this bar and have many memories of it over the last 3 years of my life. Next time in Amsterdam, I will definitely be going there again.

A big part of recreational activities is reading and before the tour I bought along four books – At the Mountains of madness by H.P.Lovekraft, Here Come the Barbarians by J.M Coatzee, The Man who cycled the Americas by Mark Beaumont and This Book is full of Spiders by David Wong. I’ve read three of them so far and I’m now on “This book is full of Spiders”. I thoroughly enjoyed The Man who cycled the Americas and Mark who is a friend of mine is a true adventurer and I highly recommend his two books so far, they are very inspiring. I am also loving J.M Coatzee’s work at the moment his dark look at South African history through fiction is so very captivating and also bleak but thoroughly enjoyable.

I’m writing this on the bus in Milan after a couple of great shows in Rome. Wow what a city that is, I wore myself out cramming as much in as I could. I think the Pantheon stole the show for me. It blew me away.

OK that’ll do for this one I reckon

I am Dave Pen