Four Weeks Noticed

The mag came in today, so I had stuffing envelope fun, sending it out to those lucky people who get a free copy. Then I got to tidy the props cupboard - found a cauldron signed by 3SL and a top signed by the Sugababes. Imagine.

And bellefire came in and sang two songs to us accompanied only by acoustic guitar, no mics or anything - it was actually quite impressive - not my sort of thing by a long stretch of the imagination, but pretty good.

Sent out to get some vox pops today - five 13 to 15 year olds required to voice their opinions (on whether singers like Justin Trousersnake should be allowed to act in films) and be photographed for the magazine. OK, I was slightly worried about the PCC guidelines, since 13 to 15 year olds who are out in central London on a school day are unlikely to be with their mums or teachers. After an hour of tramping the streets I lucked into Year 9 on a school trip in Trafalgar Square. The perfect age and I got to ask their teacher if I could do it. I was feeling pretty smug about that, but then I got asked to go out and find another five about which was the best boyband ever. Ended up standing outside topshop for two and half hours (with all the model spotters either side of me). Finally caught a gaggle of girls in their uniform, but only two wanted to be in the mag. It was nearly five o'clock by this time so I went back to the office. Will probably be forced out tomorrow to get more.

Also had fun posing for the mag - they're going to put Will Young's head on my body - apparently Kylie's said he's a rubbish dancer, so I got to do all kinds of comedy dance steps. Was V glad I was wearing a new top.

I just got stuck in the lift. For about 15 minutes. Come back King's Reach Tower, all is forgiven.

Shock rocks the office as DP claims the review below is "not rubbish", he also compares me favourably with the writers across the corridor. His suggestions were actually very helpful - he said that one of the best things is to get used to writing very short articles to begin with (350 words), and also to try and find my own style - rather than trying to fit in with how i think articles should read. Read his version of events in the guardian here. Also read the lovely PL's (deputy editor, a very very nice man) interview with Kevin Shields here.

Waves of laughter are rippling across the Shepherd's Bush Empire, while onstage Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan is crooning the poignant love song 'Nothing but You and Me'. The reason for the laughter? Behind him James McNew and Georgia Hubley are singing doo-wop backing vocals and performing - in perfect unison - a 60s girl group dance. It's all 'Stop in the Name of Love' and fabulous and funny at the same time. A metaphor for the gig as a whole: this is seriously good music, taken not so seriously. Both Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and Yo La Tengo are bands with well-developed senses of humour. Yo La Tengo, who begin their set with 'Let's Save Tony Orlando's House', a song inspired by the Simpsons, also recorded an alternative theme tune for the show. Gorky's - who open tonight - are keen to show they can be funny too: when the bass amp blows, front-man, Euros Childs tells the crowd that the band had technical problems the first time they played the Empire, supporting The Fall. Mindful of the fact that the venue used to be the BBC Theatre, he blames it on the ghost of Terry Wogan.

They also delight in playing punk rock songs about dogs ('Poodle Rockin'') and mowing the lawn (new single 'Mow the Lawn'). And the softer songs - sung in close Beach Boys harmony by Euros, his sister the violin player Megan and guitarist Richard James - are somewhat lacking in their live set. 'Sometimes the Father is the Son' from 1997's Barafundle fits into the latter bracket, however, and is welcomed by a crowd who are as eager to hear Gorky's earlier stuff as much as songs from the new album. The Welsh band finish their set with a song from one of their earliest albums - Bwyd Time - in honour of St. David's Day they play 'Iechyd Da', which is described in the sleeve notes of that album as a "Welsh drinking song". The only disappointing moment of their set is a version of 'Sweet Johnny' with an extended and repetitious instrumental.

Megan Childs joins Yo La Tengo onstage for one song, adding her plaintive Celtic violin to their taut, pared-down sound. Kaplan, McNew and Hubley rotate instruments every few songs, while on 'Nothing but You and Me', instrumentation is provided by a backing track ("We will now play our instruments using only the power of psychokenisis" claims Kaplan), to allow the band members to demonstrate their carefully choreographed moves.
For their cover of Sun Ra's 'Nuclear War' ("It's a motherfucker/ Don't you know/ If they push that button/ Yo ass gotta go") Kaplan and McNew both play keyboards, while Hubley keeps the beat. They gradually bring the sound lower and lower until they're walking off the stage still singing and clicking their fingers. They do come back though, and round off their set - "since you decided to come here instead of seeing Love across town" - with a cover of Love's 'This House is not a Motel'.

The crowd of older indie kids - after all these are bands that have been around rather longer than your Strokes and your Stripes - has been treated to a pair of bands that not only offer great music, but entertainment as well. Yo la Tengo and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci are far from being 'comedy bands', they're far too good for that, but they still manage to be funny. These aren't bands who take their music or themselves too seriously and they are all the better for it.
(ends)
595 words

Yo La Tengo/ Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Shepherd's Bush Empire
1 March 2004

Was distinctly annoyed to have been given work to do over the weekend - transcribing an interview for DP. This was obviously because I was looking forward to having some time off, but i am also dubious about the idea of getting someone else to transcribe your interviews for you, it doesn't seem like very good journalistic practice to me. Penny Wark told us that she usually transcribes her own interviews because you can pick up extra nuances that you didn't notice the first time round. Sue Dawson in fact told us not to transcribe our interviews at all - just to listen back to them and pick the good quotes.

On the other hand, it didn't really take me that long, and was actually quite informative in terms of learning a different way of conducting an interview. DP's style being very different from my own, i found myself transcribing large chunks in which he talked over the band, and told them what music they should be listening to!

In my continuing quest to make life easier for the people in this office and to get under their feet as little as possible, being sent out to buy someone's leaving presents was quite a good one, as it got me out of the office for an hour or so. On the other hand it also meant that FI thought I was on my lunchbreak, as I'd been sent by the editorial assistant of another magazine (based in the same office). This meant I missed out on a group meal at lunchtime. Annoyingly.

I also did some transcription of interviews with Patti Smith and Ilya for DP. See above for my feelings about transcription.