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Hi

Just wanted to share a photo of my last gig with you, I think it looks great, it was taken by Stefan Duerr.

There are other which I'll post soon.

Cheers

Nige

Nigel Place - The Academy - Dublin

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Another quick update to say that we've been shortlisted as 1 of 12 possible acts to open the main stage of this year's Summer Sundae Festival here in Leicester! Naturally this would be a fantastic gig for us as we'd be opening on the same bill as Supergrass among others. It'd also be great exposure ahead of the single release in September and album (hopefully now) in October!

But of course we need your help and support to win the slot! It's down to an online vote (isn't everything nowadays?) and so we need people to head along to the regional BBC site HERE, select 'Shortwave Fade' and press 'vote'. That really is it, no signup needed - you just click on the page and vote. It only takes a second....so please, help us out by voting TODAY as the vote closes tonight at 11.55pm GMT. Thank you!!

Right that's it - request over. In other news, the album is coming together now. Gavin has been working with the mixes and thinks are taking shape and sounding great! We're hoping to head back to the studio next week to tweak the mixes a little further and it should then be ready in a couple of weeks.... the release is going to be a little later than we'd originally planned but hey, that's always the way - right?! In any case, the 'Leave' single release is still going ahead on 8th September and we now have a bit more of a gap between that and the album release, which is actually a good thing...

We had a fun gig at The Purple Turtle in Camden a couple of nights ago. I believe that there may be some film of it floating around somewhere, which we'll try and track down and post at some point! We're also at Sumo in Leicester this Friday night for anyone in the area. It's our first hometown gig for.....so long - it's going to be great!

That's it for now. Going to post some mixes of the newer album tracks soon, hopefully after we return to the studio next week.....so erm, stay tuned!!

x
 

It seems like only five minutes ago I was writing a similar piece for this blog reviewing Glastonbury 2007, and I'm happy to say that this year I can give you an equally glowing report on what remains the most engaging and vital arts festival in the world.

With 3/4 of punters now arriving on site on Wednesday, the festival is now a mammoth 6 days long, and pacing is the key. Anybody waking up with a severe hangover on Thursday or Friday probably needs to calm down or you wont make it through to Monday! Entertainments proper start at about 10am on Friday but there is plenty to do an see on the Thursday, not least finding your way round a site which just seems to grow and grow each year. Although for those of us who have been a number of times before it was nice to reaquaint ourselves with familiar landmarks such as the stone circle and the tipi field.

As usual, the run up the festival involved checking every concievable weather report to see if we are going to get rain, sun or a mixture and there were a few conflicting sources that suggested it could go either way. As it turned out, we were blessed with fine weather apart from Thursday night/Friday morning when it rained and the site turned to mud. Consequently, any photos you may see of us with mud underfoot would have been taken on Friday. Saturday and Sunday were both glorious, hot days and the mud soon dried up with the improved drainage working a treat.

I'm probably the only person bothered about the drainage, so lets cut to the chase and talk about the music. There's just so much to cram into three short days that you can't possibly see everything. Trying to see it all is a fools endeavour as you probably kill youself, let alone miss all the lovely distractions along the way. Friday started with a breif set from Kate Nash who was busy doing her usual "bitter/fitter/sucking on a lemon" routine with a nice skirt on that she kept twirling around. She sat playing the piano in a giant sea shell. Then it was on the dance village to catch some "lunchtime techno" from Manchester's finest electro DJ, Riton. That certainly got the dancing feet moving and my feet (wellies at this stage) moved me over the jazz world stage where Candi Stanton was demonstrating why she has had a remarkable 40 year career as a jazz soul singer. Anyone who doesn't know Candi need look no further than the recent hit with The Source ... "Sometimes I feel like throwing ma hands up in the air/I know I just can't count on you". I was a great set and one of the highlights of the weekend.

Friday night saw me back down the dance village, to see Rosin Murphy, of Moloko fame. We had briefly caught her "pre-festival" set at the Kings Head (opposite the Other Stage) on Thursday night, but this was the real deal and she played for a good hour and a bit, with material mostly taken from her recent solo albums. It was a hot, loud and in yer face disco/house set with about four costume changes and some great repartee with the other musicians on stage, especially the backing singers who strutted their stuff with the best of them. The reception from the crowd was massive and she certainly got us going. Fat Boy Slim was supposed to be DJing after but we didn't stay for the because having been dissappointed by his set a few years ago, I could really be arsed with it. Unfortuantely about 2000 people could be arsed and it took us half an hour to get out the tent with people arriving to catch his set.

Saturday dawned and of course, when one manages to catch some sleep it can only be a good like, so I was very happy to be up and about hangover free that morning and being looked after by some very nice people camped wth us who provided bacon, sausage and beans while I went to fetch the vodka. It was a stange, slightly drunken breakfast but one that will stick in the mind. The sun was out, the mud was drying up fast and it looked like it was going to be a lovely day. Who better than Crowded House on the Pyramid Stage to get the day started.

The House played a great set of classics with a few from the new album and it was probably my favourite set of the weekend, a proper singalong job with some comedy from Neil Finn as he attempted to take the piss out of the stoney faced security guards who stood immobile at the front of the stage but getting them to crack a smile. Great entertainment for a Saturday afternoon in the sun.

As I sit typing this, I'm watching Elbow live on the Other Stage on Saturday evening thanks to the BBC iplayer on the internet. Perkins and I managed to get right to the front, hanging over the barrier, in front of Guy Garvey himself. And as the sun set gently over the campsite, Elbow didn't dissappoint, playing a set taken from their new album, displaying great confidence in their new material. If you watch the BBC footage carefully and know where to look, we are visible dancing along, me in my wax hat.

Saturday night, we rocked out to a rather dark and off the wall Massive Attack who had a bit of chip on their shoulder with the world and with guitar bands. No, I didn't go and see JayZ, but not because I've got anything against him headlining. Why not? He's a massive talent and as I understand it, was given an impressive Glasto welcome. I didn't manage to catch Amy Winehouse either, as I could be bothered with her shambolic, druggy nonsense, but apparently she got the biggest crowd of the weekend. I hope people went to hear her music and not just to see what state she was in.

Sunday morning I spent drinking herbal tea in the Green Futures field, reading the paper, and being served by a little man with a west country accent who looked like a hobbit. Then I was presented with a piece of birthday cake. It was some kid's 9th birthday that day and they were having a little party to celebrate. There were alot of kids here this year.

Sunday afternoon, and I was happy to watch Neil Diamond on the main stage and I must say, the guy looked a bit old and his voice isn't what it used to be, so I was a bit dissappointed with that. Nevertheless, the lovely Goldfrapp came .. him, and I thought they were fantastic, and probably the best I'd seen them. The new songs worked really well for Sunday evening and again, I managed to get myself right to the front which proved remarkably easy.

The festival closed with a great, gloriously uptempo set from Groove Armada who showed us why they are the best dance act on the planet. Every tune was a hit. People went crazy. I went crazy, finding that last ounce of energy to carry me through to the end. A little nip of vodka helped!

So all in all, another brilliant weekend, and I will most certainly be there again next year. It can't come soon enough.

GLASTONBURY ROCKS!

Ben

Ricardo Vargas took some sound pictures of us at Lark in The Park for The City Showcase festival.

Have a look here!

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So last thursday I supported one of Ireland's most popular singer/songwriters Declan O'Rourke in The Academy Dublin and it was great, loved every second of it and couldn't believe 30 minutes could go so quickly. Time flies when your having fun I suppose?!

The day itself was brutal, it rained all day and i'd been up since 7:30 that morning and was on the go all day, so there was no one more pleased than I was when I eventually got to the venue to sound check and settle into the night ahead. I was joined by some friends, Labhaoise my backing singer and Len who produced my EP, he was gonna take some pics and provide some moral support. Also in the venue was another friend Shane Brennan who was filming the night for both myself and Declan. Shane having a production company called Moondance Productions had 3 cameras set up and so when the results are ready I'll put something up here.

But I loved it, it went really well and the crowd gave me a very good welcome and alot of their attention. The venue itself holds 650 people and when I came on it looked quite full from where I was standing, so I said it on the night and I meant it........................ its really nice to actually play to somebody! My previous gig involved playing to 2 people, I kid you not, so if that night was swings I'll take the roundabouts.

Anyways I'll keep you posted anyways on the footage from it.

All the best

Nige

Its like getting too much change in a shop, its a dilemma.. you need to be quick, ‘shall I take the money ?!’ ‘its a big outfit, they can afford it, but then again its stealing,,, but they’re ripping me off anyway’ ‘what to do?!’ of course if you take the cash you’re sure to be arrested, punched to the ground by a surly security guard, jostled by the Police, embarrassing court appearances, losing your job, , house, car, partner, all over 5 pence change... oh take the money .. **** it, thats what OBAMA is saying... you couldn’t really turn down a billion, then about another 4 billion over the pathetic $85 million that the Public Purse is giving him in the US Presidential elections, even though it has made him a liar already... its ******’ hilarious, its all about the ******’ money to these people, he could have done OK with the Public Funds, a million a day will buy you a lot of sincere and annoying TV adverts, but no, that's not enough, he has gone back on his word already, and decided to take the billions offered by contributors to his funds. I would do the same if I were him because I’m not a politician, I’m allowed to lie , cheat, scrabble around in the pool of despair that us ordinary beings have to contend with... I would be piling millions in to offshore bank accounts and buying up Islands of the coast of Panama (are there Islands there - must be ?), go in for a minor operation in some South American hospital, and quietly leave through the back door when no-one’s watching... but that's me !!! not the superhero of American politics, that all the little people have been donating their $25. dollars to, to get rid of the lying inept turd brain that they currently have residing in Capital Hill... c’mon kids if he’s lying now what's he going to do when he gets in ??!! liar liar pans on fire..

I was extremely impressed by The Verve at Glastonbury,,,  not a big fan, but they seem to have turned in to a confident & huge stadium band, and certainly Richard Ashcroft has taken control, I liked the fact that he really sings, and has pushed his voice live and that there was so much space in their sound...  I wish someone would give Mark Ronson a push off the precipice though, this was the most dreadful and 'show-band' load of tripe I've ever heard...  why not go the whole hog and book himself out for weddings..  ******' dreadful, and take Lilly Allen with you, doesn't even know the lyrics to her own hit records..  probably because her Dad wrote it..

www.marshallstar.co.uk

It's been a while but it won't be long before some new music gets posted.  Working on 3 new songs that I hope to get up and running over the next few weeks.   Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to listen so far.  I need to get some more photos as there's only so much sloth one can take.

its the last day of pushing myself on an unsuspecting Public relentlessly, after all there are much more interesting things going on, like the new 'Green Taxes' Gordon Brown' is imposing so we can pay more for Global warming, deal done, sounds good to me, only I don't have a warming yet, just rain rain rain, so I may be going and kicking Gordon in the goolies, Gordon in the goolies Gordon in the goolies (join in!)

Stars1

Marshall Star - "Cosmos" - CD - [Furry Records UK)

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Author: Max Chen aka Stegosaurus Rex

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yes, I know, I didn't send anything out to the worldly planet of interweb for a couple of days, christ give me a break... my intertwerp has been off, quite nice really, people seem to get along fine without the internonce,,, well here goes, it won't be much longer, but a girl (a eerrr lady in my case probably) has to push herself:

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