jack hayter

Thanks for visiting this page.
___________________________________________________________
STOP PRESS - APOLOGY
To anyone tuning in from Wagin, I have been told during an interview for Great Southern Radio that I mispronounced the name of your town..I am so very anal about lyrical details in songs that I am overcome with embarassment. Shall I re-record it or leave it as it is to protect the innocent, or pretend it’s about a different place altogether? Also I do know that there is plenty to do in Wagin...the Woolarama, the sheepdog trials, the boozing and smoking and the telly. but best of all...THE RAM...I gather ther is a slightly bigger one in Goulburn but the pictures suggest its not as good looking as yours.
For people who have no idea what I’m on about I can recommend http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia’s_big_things if youre interested in big things in OZ. I like the sound of the giant ant!
____________________________________________________________ __
I was in the elusive South London band Spongefinger, and Hefner (North London’s largest small band with Darren Hayman,Ant and John Morrison); These days I am playing pedal steel and guitar with with Ollie Cherer’s cinematic soundscapists Dollboy or with Mark Mulcahy when he’s over here. In addition to playing steel guitar on a load of rather obscure but excellent records...by The Bitter Springs, Tram, etc; I croak lyrically peculiar songs about romance and tribulation. and my folkish album "Practical Wireless" released in 2002 on Absolutely Kosher Records is available in many good shops...but not Sainsburys.
Hefner have released a compilation album "The best of Hefner 1996-2002" on Fortune and Glory). This has been joined by "Catfight" .. an album of unreleased stuff from this period. The Radio1 John Peel show we did in 2000 was released in November ...go to the Hefner site for details...Its called "Maida Vale" and its damned good. Wow...3 Hefner albums in a year!
Dollboy...the 1st album "Plans for a Modern City" was released in 2005 on Different Drummer, and the new album called Casual Nudism"has just been released on the excellent Arable label.It comes in 2 versions; the CD with one extra track and a very limited vinyl LP with hand finished sleeves. Both versions are available from www.arable.net, www.boomkat.co.uk etc.
The Bitter Springs have a couple of excellent E.Ps available. "Poor Trace" and "Firm Family Faves" on the Harvey label. Simon Rivers and I sing a rather cheery duet on Poor Trace ...a prison death ballad.
Woodcraft Folk/Dollboy 3" Losing Today . This is a physically very small CD measuring a mere 3 inches in diameter (thats 1.5 inches in radius folks). But the artwork is exquisitely home made using Gocco printers and scissors...and glue.It is part of a series which will become a virtual tour around the UK. This is the Manchester disk and I croaked a version of the English Scheme by the Fall. There is also a haunting version of Last night I dreamt that somebody loved me sung by Ollie Dollboy Cherer. Next we hit Glasgow...send suggestions to Mr Alan Outram of the Woodcraft folk. I fancy Nazareth myself (I am not joking!). I have included a rather naked "demix" on this page, but listen to the CD...it is much better.
____________________________________________________
The collection of songs above gets changed quite frequently. The Unsent Letter is a cover of an song by MGF...an Australian band who were rather parental advisory...well I advised my parents not to listen! I couldn’t resist doing a version. MGF probably would hate it cos I dont wear fishnets on stage...or lick my instrument...at any time really...that I can remember.
____________________________________________________
28th of March Flux=rad club at the Bread and Roses, 68 Clapham Manor St. SW4 6DZ, 020 7498 1779
________________________________________________________
March, 30 2008 at Luminaire Kilburn Kilburn, London, Cost :I will be part of Darren Haymans excellent band- The Secondary Modern. This should be fun...I have had to get my pedal steel out of the lockup....its been there since the John Peel commemorative evening thingy we did for Radio 1! There was also evidence a nest of mice in the back of my amp, but luckily they haven’t chewed the the paper cone of the speaker. Perhaps they were always there as that amp used to crackle and splutter all the time!
As some of you may be aware Darren and I have decided to do some shows in June to coincide with the release of a ’supersize me’ version of The Fidelity Wars album..loads of extra tracks on a double album. We will be playing Hefner songs. Its rather exciting and, as last week was the first time we’d played instruments together with a common purpose in about 6 or 7 years, probably a bit unpredictable. Darren and I were always the ones in the band who played all the bum notes! I gather the London shows have sold out but there are still some tickets for shows outside London.
_____________________________________________________
Sat 12th April AFTERNOON Arctic Circle/Big Chil FREE ENTRY The Big Chill House,257-259 Pentonville Road King’s Cross London.Tel: 020 7427 2540.
____________________________________________________
The mighty Spongefinger are no more but I found this "Wilbur" on Youtube.
There’s no-one Wilbur. Leave me.