The John E Vistic Experience...
Like Nick Cave, Jon Spencer and Johny Cash having a fight over some booze... This year started shakily, we lost our two guitarists and had to adapt to working as a three piece with John taking up the guitar again, me and Stav had to work much harder as well without the wall of noise to hide behind! As usual we did most of our growing up in public, the music was changing from gig to gig for a while but now its really paying off, since april we've been playing some of our best shows ever..
We are currently working on new songs and recording a new album with the stripped down line-up.. jeve myspace
Emily Breeze...
..if you imagine your average sweet-voiced female singer songwriter then Emily is her fucked-up zombie cousin, possibly a love child produced in an orgy involving Hank Williams, Janis Joplin and the Big Bopper...
Emily's new set is sounding amazing now.. She starts with the Hank Williams song "Lost Highway" strumming an acoustic guitar, i play upright bass, Mr Vistic plays electric guitar and Dan does great big hillbilly drums..
Its all come together quickly and naturally, i think the fact that i play with John all the time and Dan has now and again helped out on drums with the Vistics when our own Stav couldn't make it helps but its also great to be more in the supportive role..
Highlights would have to be hearing that the first song written specifically for the acoustic line-up made several people cry, Getting drunk with the Gussets in London after our Dirty Water gig and seeing Emily her eyes out during Leonard Cohen at Glastonbury (please don't hit me!), this was the night after she said of Festivals "this is so shit, all there is to do is stand around in the mud and look at shit!"
We have also started on an album with Robot Club and Phantom Limb boys Stew and Dan.. So far the acoustic edge has been taking over and its sounding really promising.. Elsewhere Emily has swapped the Quiff and rock shirts for Dresses and Curls.. she still rolls around on the floor when she sings "Folsom Prison Blues" though...
We are currently finishing off Emily's album, 7 tracks done so far and its sounding really good, you can really tell the positive effect of loads of gigging on the band.. Emily's myspace
Toyface and the Crash Bang Boom!
This is a pretty new band, the music is pretty hard to describe, it fires off in all directions crossing circus and cabaret through to soul following Tamsyn's mind through dark and disturbing fairy tales, bizarre musings and stories of hope and love.. She delivers this with all the presence of an R&B diva but is not above collapsing into fits of giggles mid song.. toyface myspace
The Glitzy Bag Hags...
My festival family, so full of love that some of them even got married to each other! The Glitzy's are fast becoming a favourite at all the festivals with their mix of traditional klesma and European folk tunes, Humour and general shout along fun.. I still turn up whenever the mighty Rob Da Bass cannot make it but dont be too surprised if you see both of us up there at the same time in double double bass action.. Glitzy myspace...
Vladimir Steamboat...
Gypsy Latin lounge dance hall exotica from the ultimate party band! A mix of unique covers and eastern European folk music, theres enough there to keep people dancing for hours, they aren't afraid to try songs that most of the band haven't played or even heard before, don't miss the Glastafari performance.. Following a recent performance in a graveyard in Bath we can now safely say that we have even played to dead people....... vlad myspace
I sometimes record basslines for Sir Beans OBE because every good boy deserves hip hop.. Also recently i have been playing a few gigs with Cut A Shine, a "21st Century Barn Dance Band"
A recent vistic gig at the croft, its pretty good up till the point where i smash my bass out of tune in the second track! The John E Vistic Experience at Trowbridge Village Pump Festival 2008, the sound is a bit rough but it gives you a general idea!
Everyone going mental on a johny cash number at the end of the Emily Breeze set at Bristol Festival 2008