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23/12/13	merry xmas evbod ! and big thank you to everyone that stopped by the stall at independent label market a few weeks back. good to see people snapping up the 3 for a tenner deal on the back catalogue. spork and FEB were the best sellers on the day.. lots of things planned for 2014 including new bromide album with band line up.. only 16 years after we first talked about doing it. ahem. ed and matt spork are threatening to do some new recording.. matthew neel’s at work on his second alb.. jay fisher aka apple rabbits has got a great album he’s been sitting on and we’re trying to work out the £ to get that out there.. plus nigel of bermondsey’s storytelling / songtelling ode to historic london will be surfacing somewhere. oh and that’s james hitchins aka ‘big pilot’ in the pic loitering by the scratchy stall – his second musical audio book collaboration with FEB’s alvin spetz called ‘the car club’ will be available at reputable digital outlets soon.. more info here lastly, date for your diaries.. bromide will be playing at the underbelly, hoxton square on friday 17^th jan
21/11/13	fancy a haggle ? scratchy records will be running a stall at the ‘independent label market’ at spitalfields on sat 30^th nov. there’ll be special deals on the back catalogue including 3 albums for a tenner so come and grab some xmas prezzas. more importantly the mrs will be providing some of her delicious cakes / biscuits / both maybe. kick off is 11am – 5pm. more info here then shortly after that bromide will be playing a xmas special at the horse & stables, 124, Westminster bridge rd on monday 2^nd dec. we’ll be playing songs from the past, present and future including a few covers. one of which even sounds a bit christmassy aaaah.. and the wonderful rafa ‘ratso’ russo is also on the bill. if anyone’s ever seen the excellent film ‘if only’(with a fame cusped penelope cruz) one late night on channel 4 then come down and hear what the guy who wrote the screenplay sounds like. doors open 7:30pm. £5 to get in
26/9/13	yowza ! bromide back in action again next weds 2^nd oct at the sebright arms ‘freak scene’ club night, 31-35 coate st, bethnal green E2 9AG. £5 with the flyer
2/9/13	bromide gig thursday..
8/8/13	scratchstock #13 ahoy ! cracking line up tho maybe that’s not the best choice of words as unfortunately the miller test won’t now be appearing due to head honcho miller breaking both his wrist and elbow. owwwwwwww ! get well soon mr mink.. change of venue as well - this time we’re upstairs at ‘the miller’ just round the back of london bridge station. top venue. more info about the remaining squad here
24/7/13	bromide make second attempt at water rats gig ! to make up for last friday’s debacle the venue have offered us a slot this friday 26^th july playing after legendary 70’s prog rockers ‘leaf hound’
19/7/13	APOLOGIES to anyone who came down to water rats tonight to see bromide.. the venue and their promoters managed to book two lots of bands. dohp ! think we managed to alert anyone we knew that was coming but sorry if that didn’t include you..
8/7/13	couple of new releases on the horizon - jonny cola and the A-grades are currently sitting around on deck chairs in kent drinking tea waiting for scramble as september 9th marks the release on scratchy of their second album proper 'spitfire'. powered by twin rolls royce guitars it's a chugging glamrock firestorm. ahead of that there's the debut AA download single from infectious boy/girl garage rockers onehundredpercentboyband. 'beartrap for one' / 'radiator song' will be out august 19th and comes on like mark e. smith auditioning for the white stripes. great flyers too out in gig world bromide return to the water rats for first time in ahem, 15 years on friday 19th july.. and this week on thursday 11th july there's the aforementioned colas playing alongside james taylor from noughties upstarts 'the rocks' and his new band the gallon bell at buffalo bar, highbury corner. more info here in case yr bored at work there are some new gig reviews posted - stone roses at finsbury park + laetitia stereolab solo show and lastly FEB/alvin spetz's audiobook project big pilot in conjunction with writer and onetime bromide bassman james hitchins is smouldering on the launch pad ready for lift off.. 'gravity pulls through' will be out soon. godspeed..
20/6/13	midsummer madness ! come and celebrate the apex of the year with bromide tomorrow in a basement in hoxton.. £6 with flyer. onstage 8:30pm
28/4/13	next scratchstock on the horizon.. friday 10^th may at the dublin castle this time. just £5 with the flyer
8/4/13	great response to new jonny cola & the a-grades AA single ‘straight to video’ b/w ‘marlborough road’ last week.. “Strutting guitars, elegant Queenesque piano, wandering Bowie style chords, and Genesis-era Gabriel vocal tones with a touch more camp.This lot could be massive given a real studio budget and a publicity push” Record Collector "Magnificent and majestic, bliss kissed with a stunning glam retro vibe that irrefutably tugs at a ‘different class’ era Pulp styled outsider-ism whilst clipped with Butler-esque ‘dog man star’ shenanigans and tailored with just enough strut cooled sassiness to have you wondering if the blighter’s been time tunnelled from a ‘73 edition of Top Of The Pops” godisinthetv.co.uk + there’s an indepth interview with jonny and fiance heidi about some of the ordeals of last year up on the quietus website you can download the single from itunes, amazon plus it’s available in limited edition special orange vinyl here and don’t forget they’ll be at the windmill, brixton this wednesday, 10^th april ..also in gig gnus, thanks to everyone that came down to the bromide gig at the rhythm factory last weds. next one will be at scratchstock #12, dublin castle friday may 10^th deets to follow..
28/3/13	bromide electric band gig next week.. weds 3^rd april at the rhythm factory, 16-18 whitechapel rd, london E1 1EW. we’re on at 9pm and it’s eff arr ee ee FREE to get it in.. woo hoo. we’ll be playing stuff from new ‘some electric sometime’ alb plus some older bromide moments and some gnu tunes courtesy of drummer ed. this is one of the venerable mr spoon’s nights.. more info here weds 3^rd april is also an auspicious day for jonny cola and the a-grades as it marks the release on scratchy of new AA side single ‘straight to video’ b/w ‘marlborough road’. produced by david ryder prangley of rachel stamp this will be the first release following jonny’s kidney transplant at the end of last year. last friday the band made a triumphant return at the buffalo bar and threaten to inflict similar glam rock carnage on the windmill in brixton on weds 10^th april. you have been warned.. here’s a link for more gig info. the single will be available via download and, for those who still like to actually own something tangible (tangerineable ?), tasty orange vinyl and is accompanied by a pair of er, ‘interlocking vids’ – first one for ‘marlborough road’ track is up on youtube now and the 6 minute epic ‘straight to video’ will be posted on the day of release - in the meantime here’s a trailer + word has reached the scratchy laptop that full english breakfast aka alvin spetz’s new project involves a talking musical book and a certain ‘keith allen’. stay gtuned..
25/3/13	this isn’t exactly news as such but i was talking to gareth and claire at work today and we decided it was only logical to presume that the existence of the sphinx indicated at one point earth was ruled by giant space travelling cats. a comforting thought..
13/3/13	couple of bromide acoustic gigs coming up.. one south, one north. first up is me mate moykal’s night at the horse, 124 westminster bridge rd SE1 7RW this sunday 17^th march. £5 to get in. nearest tubes lambeth north and waterloo. moykal’s been putting on nights here for a while now and they’re always a pleasure to play. this one is a st.patrick’s night special so a suitable cover is on the agenda.. ooh something from U2’s ‘october’ maybe !?! then for those more northerly in aspect there’s a benefit gig for st. luke’s hospice at the north london tavern, 375 kilburn high rd, london, greater london NW6 7QB the following wednesday 20^th march. nearest tubes are brondesbury and kilburn.. tickets are £12 advance / £15 on the door – u can book here. also playing are theo bard and adrian roye of north london afro-folk group we are exiles, plus this gig is going to be unamplified which should be fun.. like the troubadour back in the day. more info about the hospice here. hopefully see you at one of these.. then some very exciting gnus about those jonny cola’s.. new single imminent. stay gtuned.. lastly, if watching grown men in fantastically inappropriate clothing singing some of the best pop songs ever written is your thang baby then there’s a fab doc about mott the hoople on iplayer - available till thurs 18^th march.. + obv had to google the meaning of ‘all the young dudes’.. scary stuff !! "The time is five years to go before the end of the earth. It has been announced that the world will end because of lack of natural resources. Ziggy is in a position where all the kids have access to things that they thought they wanted. The older people have lost all touch with reality and the kids are left on their own to plunder anything. Ziggy was in a rock-and-roll band and the kids no longer want rock-and-roll. There's no electricity to play it. Ziggy's adviser tells him to collect news and sing it, 'cause there is no news. So Ziggy does this and there is terrible news. 'All the young dudes' is a song about this news. It's no hymn to the youth as people thought. It is completely the opposite. "
24/2/13	RIP kevin ayers. soft machine founder member passed away in his sleep aged 68 last sunday. the first time i heard about kevin was via a review of the first bromide album ‘iscariot heart’ back in 1997. the evening standard’s max bell wrote ‘A bedroom mini classic that harks back to Kevin Ayers, discovers Sonic Youth and has chronic lovesickness to spare’. i read it and thought does he mean roy ayers.. who’s kevin ayers ? many years later i saw a cd for sale with 3 of his solo albums in greenwich market and thought it was time to find out more. i’m glad i did. here’s a link to a relatively recent gig for anyone curious http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exWlLMdAEBk also leaving the building is the stool pigeon music mag / paper. just about the only thing worth reading of late.. oh well. thanks to phil and his gang for some great interviews and articles. on a more positive note it’s good to see that california’s greatest living export mark eitzel is back on form following his heart attack last year. saw him on tuesday at bush hall. here’s ‘what holds the world together’ from that gig http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvsrGATJgE8 +there’s a review here plenty of gigs coming up.. more gnus soon
10/1/13	well happy gnu year to evone. let’s get 2013 started with some scratchstocking at the spiritual home of all things unrelatedtowhetherthey’rebuildingcrossrailnextdooranddoublingtherents the fantabulous 12bar club..
4/12/12	one last bromide gig for 2012.. next tues 11^th dec at the buffalo bar, highbury corner N1 1RU with bass player hugo’s english rock’n’roll compadres ‘low rent tractors’. on stage 9:30pm. £4 with flyer..
3/12/12	out today the new album from full english breakfast – ‘candy in weightlessness’ “It is sweetness and it is light and it is forty two minutes and thirty seven seconds worth of moon age confectionery for our modern times” godisinthetv “Full of melodic surprises and accomplished harmonies.. Spetz’s restless imagination wins the day.” uncut watch phil hayes’s video for track ‘open your mind’ here available from amazon hmv itunes
28/11/12	brrrrrr.. bromide playing tonight at rosie / piranha pr’s gig at the good ship, kilburn – also playing matthew neel and his band. doors 7:30pm.. fiver to get in review from the last gig here + new, improved release date of december 3^rd for full english breakfast’s ‘candy in weightlessness’ is nearly upon us.. couple of reviews just out from godisinthetv and whisperinandhollerin
30/10/12	bromide lands in america ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsKuOMgfNZI
18/10/12	excting gnus.. pennyblackmusic.co.uk have asked bromide to play at their next music night at the half moon, herne hill on saturday 3^rd november. this will be a band gig. also on the bill are the excellent rotifer and willard grant conspiracy. see you there !
7/9/12	attention SE london ! next friday 14^th sept scratchy records will be hosting a music night at the woolwich grand featuring matthew neel, jay fisher and bromide. admission £5 or email names to scratchyrecords@yahoo.com for a £3 list elsewhere jonny cola & the a-grades are previewing new material at a secret gig on monday 24^th sept. email them for more info: jonnycolaandtheagrades@gmail.com – health issues have made this a tough old year for mr cola.. he talks about it in a new interview here me mate dave from pastures many miles yonder further north upstream well, manchester actually will be visiting londinium with his last harbour cohorts october 23^rd for a special gig at the wilmington arms, 69 rosebery ave EC1R 4RL. their new album got 4/5 in the sunday times the other day, coo-er ! what else.. good interview with cat power in recent stool pigeon.. nigel of bermondsey pointed me in the direction of this fascinating eno doc on the tube + don’t forget out now on scratchy the fantastic new album ‘candy in weightlessness’ from full english breakfast available on itunes, amazon
6/8/12	thanks to everyone that came down to scratchstock #10 at the 12bar club a few weeks back - great night all round. good to hear a room full of people singing along to russ chandler’s version of ‘pale blue eyes’.. meanwhile out today on scratchy.. the fantabulous new record from senor alvin - he’s dropped the ‘e’ for this one - ahem, spetz aka full english breakfast. ‘candy in weightlessness’ is a magical train ride through alvin’s world, packed full of slow release drugs that gradually reveal a album every bit as good if not better than his widely acclaimed debut. here’s uncut’s review available from - amazon hmv itunes
16/7/12	scratchstock double figures !! number 10 incoming this weds 18^th july.. only taken ooh, 9 years ? first one was at notting hill arts centre 2003 - remember sarah from the rocks locking herself in the loo afterwards and refusing to come out.. must have been good. info about who’s playing this wednesday here
14/7/12	bit of a rocks-related bill tonight, saturday 14^th july at the buffalo bar, 259 upper st. N1 1RU as two survivors from south-london’s chaotic stage botherers will be on duty - guitarist mauro with jonny cola & the a-grades and singer james with the gallon bell. £5 in advance it says so maybe a quid more on the door ? see you there + don’t forget scratchstock next weds 18^th at the 12bar.. in the meantime bromide interview up online here
9/7/12	new bromide album ‘some electric sometime’ out today ! produced by nigel of bermondsey and featuring longtime collaborator ed spork on drums plus guest appearances from alvin spetz aka ‘full english breakfast’ and katy carr. "Musically upbeat, but lyrically bruised fabulous first studio album in fifteen years from Bromide.. captures the momentary nature of life, and does so magnificently" pennyblackmusic.co.uk "An irresistible collection of lo-fi, acoustic guitar-driven pop” shout4music.com "Simon Berridge's voice is as strong as ever, with the songwriter only gaining in sound and fury” clashmusic.com “An album to cherish.. ‘Small Rewards’ has an infectious pop feel to it that radio stations the country over should playlist" amusicalpriority.co.uk "Stadium indie rock infused with wonky poppiness and played with a lo-fi edge.. this album’s definitely a grower"whisperinandhollerin.com available from - amazon hmv itunes
5/7/12	new bromide album ‘some electric sometime’ will be out this coming monday 9^th july available from amazon hmv nice review from pennyblack website here
29/6/12	thanks to everyone who came down to the dublin castle on wednesday for the bromide album launch – much appreciated. + if you missed the resonance radio session last saturday it’s now up on line here next up scratchstock #10 at the 12bar club, denmark st on weds july 18^th
18/6/12	jasmine scratchy 1995? - 2012.. founder of scratchy records moves to new home ‘upstairs’. top cat.. RIP first ever bromide video up online.. big thanks to shane, blake, katie and candy + paul at the sir richard steele on haverstock hill. watch ‘treasure map’ from new album ‘some electric sometime’ here talking of which it’s the album launch gig at the dublin castle wednesday 27^th june ahead of that there’s jonny cola and the a-grades at the windmill, brixton this friday 22^nd june + have a look at this live clip - nice work.. also just coming into view on the horizon amidst a hail of javelins.. FEB #2 - ‘candy in weightlessness’ out this august..
2/6/12	night network. tanita tikaram. the mean fiddler acoustic room in harlesden. michelle shocked singing about anchorage. tracy chap.. enough ! welcome to the late 1980’s new acoustic movement and an an array of floorspots at the troubadour, diorama, god’s little joke.. meanwhile holding up the tooting massive was mike boyce’s ‘halfway crazy club’- mike’s still putting on gigs and bromide will be playing at the next one, this coming wednesday 6^th june at the horse in waterloo. also on the bill spanish songwriter rafa russo who’s video not only made it onto night network (at the mercy of those three big red buttons on top of the tv – someone bring that back it was great !) but who also penned the magical late nineties film ‘if only’ featuring a fame cusped penelope cruz. £5 to get in. see you there..
9/5/12	more bromide electrickery next week..
14/4/12	first things first.. big get well soon to jonny cola singer alex who spent all last weekend in hospital meaning the band couldn’t play their gigs up in birmingham. hope you’ll be back on mic duty asap + been a busy week in bromideworld. shot my first video on tuesday with shane davey who made that lightbulbtastic video for the rocks back in the day and also the clacket lane nut odyssey for full english breakfast. then next tuesday 24^th april bromide will be back at the dublin castle in camden after a short gap of oooh about 14 years ! so come down and hear some of the songs from new album ‘some electric sometime’ out end of june
26/3/12	out today on scratchy ! jonny cola & the a-grades new ‘halo’ ep at school jonny cola studied british glam rock from bowie and mott the hoople through to the manics and suede. the lessons were sometimes long, the make-up hard to apply and the les paul workshops always a challenge but jonny studied hard cos he didn’t want to end up at indie tescos.. the band did a great launch gig at the black heart in camden last week and will be back on a stage near you soon. see the facebook for more info download the ep from itunes and amazon – info here + sorry to anyone who turned up at the woolwich grand last friday. think i caught most people in time.. bit of a, ahem licensing problem
19/3/12	busy week this one.. jonny cola and his a-grades celebrate the imminent release of new ‘halo’ ep this coming thursday 22^nd march at the black heart in camden – more info here there’s another music night at the woolwich grand theatre this friday 23^rd featuring matthew neel, joey herzfeld & his so-called friends who missed the boat last time and me, wandering bromide + dj lord ant and some comedian types courtesy of the venerable adrian. you have to pay this time but it’s only £3 if you get there early.. then if you’re still breathing and in need of a tinderstickerian gothfolk night out in the company of manchester pentangular conventionists ‘last harbour’ you’d best head down to the half moon herne hill on saturday 24^th. admission is £7 / £6 in advance.
14/2/12	gah ! just the seven months since the last news item.. oh well, thankfully there’s plenty to report and not just tales of ongoing DIY mayhem at scratchyworld here in deep SE london. there’s a slew of new releases on the way from jonny cola & the a-grades, full english breakfast and a new bromide album from your correspondent. ahead of this a couple of gigs coming up: friday 17^th feb - katy carr, nigel of bermondsey, bromide and joey herzfeld & his so-called friends + dj sammy disco upstairs at the woolwich grand theatre, 38 wellington st SE18 6PE. free admission. doors 7pm. amazing venue recently acquired by community arts group to turn into live venue / cinema / weekend indoor market.. more info here then next wednesday 22^nd feb jonny cola & the a-grades will be playing tracks from their new ‘halo’ ep - due out on scratchy march 26^th - at the dublin castle 94 parkway, camden NW1 7AN. also on the bill the intriguingly named ‘the inevitable pinhole burns’. admission £6
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