lunardew

And so it begins: 94-96The origins of this band are shrouded in mystery. No-one (not even the band members ourselves) knows how this dynamic group of individuals initially met. Each mans first memory of the other is of waking up in the smoky living room of some random student house, not knowing how we ended up there, suffering from horrible hangovers, while simultaneously wondering "who the f**k are these bollixes?". Nevertheless, we decided that (although too young to be up to this sort of carry on) we would hit the pub for a few pints as a means to a cure. As the pints flowed, the conversation became increasingly lubricated, with each man discovering that we shared a common passion, our love for music. That evening we decided that we would form a band, and that band was to be called Lunar Dew.As we awoke the following morning, not even the heinous hangovers that we were collectively tormented from, could dampen our spirits. On that hazy Wednesday morning, as the instruments came out and Lunar Dew began its first jam session, musical worlds combined creating a galaxy of sound the like of which the universe has never heard. From early on, the band was confident, and we set about arranging our first gig. The venue was decided as the back garden of one members family home, playing to a select group of family and friends. The band, fuelled by a couple of 20 decks of steicher lager and a couple of 10g’s of russian bear vodka, ripped through a blistering set, this great bunch of lads gave their first show all they had, playing tunes entirely composed by themselves. However, it was unclear to the band whether the expressions on the faces of those witnessing and hearing this first gig, were expressions of horror and revulsion, or if they had been simply mesmerised by what they had just seen and heard. Determined to know, the band arranged for their second gig. The time, date and venue was to be a house party in just a few weeks time.After a few practice sessions and many carry outs from the local off-licence later, the band was ready. The band set up in the living room of the house, a room filled with young people brimming with excitement at the prospect of a live band playing at their house party. The band tore into the same set of songs that they had done at the gig previous, and it was here that Lunar Dew got the answer they seeked. For the packed room of young people brimming with enthusiasm was soon transformed into a room where only one person was left by the time we played our final song of the night. This proved to be a crushing blow to the morale of the band, the song book was ripped up, and on that fateful night the band members agreed (while consuming ludicrous amounts of white lightening cider) that Lunar Dew was to be no more. There was also a general consensus that each man had a ridiculously bad influence on the other, distance was needed; Lunar Dew, it seemed, was finished.The Resurrection 97-99For a full year, no man spoke of Lunar Dew, it was if it had never happened. However, for one man the strain of it all had become too much, his deep burning passion for music needed to be satisfied. He called for a band meeting to take place in the local pub. Somewhat reluctantly, the rest of the members of Lunar Dew agreed. That night, as the pints flowed and the tete-a-tete became increasingly oiled, each man confessed that they yearned for the reunification of the band, so that we may once again collectively pursue our dreams. The break up of the band had left music shape holes in our lives, holes that each man admitted they tried to fill by hitting the bottle, and hitting the bottle hard. It was proposed that we should punish ourselves no longer and that Lunar Dew would provide the distraction each of us needed, to steer clear of the amber nectar! As Dawn broke, the band (nurturing ghastly hangovers) attempted to dream it all up again, a practice session ensued, with the band now focussed on becoming a cover band. Our own compositions were to be scrapped. Not long after, the band recieved a lucky break, as we sat down to a few post practice pints, a landlord came to us and offered us a practice space in a store room behind his pub and in exchange we were to play a gig once a month as a means to "pay the rent". We were ecstatic at catching such a lucky break and things seemed that they could only go up from here. This, however, proved to be a disastrous decision on the part of the landlord. It all started to go wrong when, at our first rehersal in our newly acquired 5 star practice space, one of the band members reminded the rest of us that you can get a carry out from the pub. This member keenly suggested that we should take advantage of this service, to which the rest of us keenly agreed. We set about our first practice in our new surroundings armed with a couple of 20 decks of "lions mane" lager and a couple of 10g’s of "red star" vodka. The decision to take advantage of the pubs carry out facility proved to be a disastrous one on the part of the band.4 weeks pass, and with only hours to go until our first gig as a means of payment, we collectively conceded that we were desparately short of practice, given that every practice session had descended into an all night booze bonanza. Nevertheless, we set our equipment up in the back room of the pub (which wasn’t easy cos we were all hammered) knowing that the pressure was on. Given that the landlord had so generously handed us a quality place to practice we had to play well, for if we didn’t, there was a good chance we would get kicked out of our newly acquired 5 star drinking den.Luckily for us that night, all our friends and family came to see us play i.e. the pub was packed, this meant the landlord was happy and it mattered not how outlandishly bad we played. The craic was good and everybody had a great laugh. Despite this, a dark cloud hovered over Lunar Dew that night, as we ploughed preposterous volumes of vodka down our throats, we were well aware that our family and friends would not be there every night to save our bacon. It was time for the band to sink or swim.Somewhat inevitably the band sank in extraordinary fashion. Band practices would continue to turn into all night bonanzas of booze consumption, gigs would be dogged by vodka fuelled in fighting among band members as well as a general inabilty to play our instruments as a result of our drunken stupor. The landlord eventually had enough of us, we were kicked out of our 5 star drinking den/practice space and Lunar Dew was once again no more. In truth, it had come as a welcome break, with each man once again concluding that when in each others company we had an explosively bad influence on the other. Once again the members of Lunar Dew went their separate ways, this time it appeared that Lunar Dew was finished for good.The Last Chance Saloon 2005-presentSix years pass, each man had taken his own path in life. The members of Lunar Dew were scattered around the country at different universities, but as we completed our university courses at roughly the same time, it would be that Lunar Dew was to be given one last shot. As we arrived home, it was only right that we should meet up for a few jars in the pub where it had all happened. What we didn’t expect to be revealed was that each man still had a fire in their belly for music, and in particular our collective vision for Lunar Dew. We each decided that we would give the band the chance it deserves. What was even more surprising on that night as we discussed our desires to rejuvinate the band, was that the landlord who we had failed so spectacularly 6 years previous, offered us the chance to make our comeback gig at the same venue. It was all water under the bridge according to him. The band were elated to have recieved such a generous and good willed offer, and of course, we obliged. This called for a celebration, that night as copious amounts of alcohol flowed down our necks, we promised ourselves that things were going to be different this time, a degree of professionalism was required and to be attained. The date was set for the gig, it was to be in 4 weeks time.Three weeks, six days pass, its only hours before the gig is due to start and Lunar Dew once more find themselves to be dreadfully short of practice. To compound matters one of the band members has been on a six day bender and is nowhere to be seen, and without any form of getting in contact. As the rest of us sat in the pub anxiously waiting, we figured that the show was going to have to be cancelled, it was therefore determined that we "may as well go on the beer". As we downed what seemed like endless pints of the amber nectar, a silhouette appeared at the window of the pub, it was shaped just like our prodigal band member, could it be.............. it was. Even though he was stumbling all over the place and not able to make coherent sentences, to the rest of Lunar Dew he was like a war hero returning home to his family, the show was back on.A select group of family and friends had once again come to watch us, the bar was bunged with locals, the band was about to play its first show in 6 years. As we burst into a set comprised of some our own compositions, along with a sprinkling of eclectic covers, the bar hastily emptied. The landlord stood with his head in his hands as he watched his punters disappear, our family and friends (the only people who stayed) looked upon us with a mixture of pity and concern. As we ploughed on through our set, blissfully unaware of how intolerable we sounded, our select group of family and friends pondered over how we could not appear able to stay away from the booze, and not only that, it was the absurd quantity of booze that we downed, which concerned them most. In the end up our come back gig was an unprecedented disaster, although something was different this time, usually such a profound setback would signal the death knell of the band. For some reason (be it being a bit older and wiser?) this time the band was made of sterner stuff, and we decided to get straight back on to the proverbial horse.A good friend of ours got us a gig in a neighbouring town, this provided the perfect opportunity to put things right. However, with no practice space and little equipment, it proved to be of great difficulty for the band to focus. The night of the gig came, we were once again brutally short of practice, however on this occasion each man promised that they would not drink on the day of the gig, a promise which each man surprisingly kept. The pub was absolutely packed to the rafters, and as we set up we were informed by the bar man that we were the first ever band to play in this venue. Everyone in the bar seemed to be excited in anticipation of the novelty of having a band play in their pub. There was only an hour left until we were due to play, the band was a collective wreck of nerves, never has the band felt so nervous, usually by this stage we were too drunk to be worried about the fact that we had barely practiced. Each man knew it, there was only one thing left to do, each man looked each other in the eye, knowing exactly what needed to be done. Not one man flinched as I waved a tenner at the barman and ordered the first round of double vodkas. An impressive number of double vodkas were downed as the hour passed and by the time we had ripped through our first song we were fairly stocious. But something strange happened as we finished our first tune, the bar didn’t empty, in fact there were some people singing and dancing as we played, and we even got a rapturous round of appluase. Something about this pub was different, it definitely was’nt us, we were as under rehearsed and as hammered as ever, our equipment was sub standard, and as per usual we had’nt even bothered to do a sound check. As we looked around the pub, what we noticed was something quite beautiful; everyone in the pub was as hammered (if not more) as we were. We could have played "my rubber ducky" and they would have lapped it up. On that night Lunar Dew had found its spiritual home. This was the first time we had got a good reception and it left us hungry for that warm feeling in our bellies even more. Since that Lunar Dew has played various gigs and open mics across the country, all the while continuing to have a terrible influence on each other. This recording is our latest effort, which we hope you like.Anyway, I must go here, i’m dying a sore death with this god awful hangover............... maybe hit the pub for a cure................... must give the lads a shout, see if they’re up for going on a session.