O'Messy Life

OML - back from the dead…

Wow, it’s been a while!

As you may have noticed, we’ve been away for ages. The reasons for this are twofold.

Firstly, our tyrannical leader David tried and failed to cut his own thumb off earlier in the year. Obviously, this is quite a setback for a guitarist/pianist. Thankfully, the surgery and recovery went swimmingly.

Secondly, Matt has become a dad to Ethan! Almost straight from birth he was being schooled in music, and we hope to have him shredding a guitar solo on an OML record in the next 12 months.

So, after our extended hiatus, we eventually went back in the studio to record some new songs last week, and they are sounding great. These songs will form part of a future release, again through our good friends at Tiny Lights, and that release will also include a song we recorded last time we went in the studio but has never been heard - until now!

Yeah, you can have a sneak peak of some new O’Messy Life material by casting your eyes and ears just below these words:

Not content with recording some new tunes for you all, we’ll also be playing some live shows, our first since April this year.

The first of these will be as part of A Carefully Planned Festival in Manchester, where we will be playing at Soup Kitchen on Sunday 21st October.

Our first Newcastle gig back will be on November 16th at Cluny 2, where we will be joined by The Hundredth Anniversary and Tusk.

We will also be playing a gig in December in Newcastle, but we can’t announce the details for that quite yet.

Last, but not least, we have some t-shirts that you can buy here.

Here it is, being modelled by our good friend - not to mention the person NME would most like a reacharound from - Liam Gallagher:

Next few gigs - an announcement

It is with great sadness that we have to announce we are pulling out of our next couple of gigs, namely Evolution Emerging on 1st June and Long Division Festival on 2nd June.

Cancelling gigs is not a decision we like to take or one that we take lightly, and if that ultimate decision could be avoided in any way, it would be.

Sadly that is not the case - you can read a message from David, our tormentor-in-chief, below, which explains in a bit more detail why we have been left no other choice.

Obviously we are gutted to cancel both gigs, as they both look amazing. At Evolution Emerging we were to have the privilege of playing with an exceptional set of local bands, and at Long Division we were sharing a stage with our good mate Withered Hand (not to mention the rest of the line-up!). Furthermore, Generator - who oversee Evolution Emerging - are working hard to bring in a replacement for us, who should be announce imminently.

It goes without saying that you should still go to both - we’ll still be there as punters! Furthermore, there’s still an OML representative at Evolution Emerging, in the form of Alex our drummer who also plays with Deerhart.

You can check out the full line-ups for both festivals here and here, and we’ll be back up and playing as soon as we can.

Finally, we’d like to thank Joe and Bob and Generator and all at Long Division Festival for their help and understanding.

———————

Hello,

A couple of weeks ago I had a clumsy accident with something sharp and cut my thumb deeply, severing a nerve and damaging a flexor tendon.
 
I was in theatre last Tuesday, talking to a nurse about his ex-wife for a couple of hours while they needled my arm into an unresponsive fleshy lump and diced me up.

I’m currently in a sling and will be for the next month-and-a-half, then I’m looking at an indeterminate time - read ‘months’ - in physiotherapy to restore the opposable function; my ability to hold a plectrum, play a piano scale or hitchhike northbound on a European mainland highway.

I’m truly saddened to have to cancel some fantastic gigs on the band, leave our later gigs hanging in the balance, and postpone our upcoming releases and recording. Everyone in OML especially and Paul from Tiny Lights have been very kind about the mishap, but I’m sure will be disappointed to miss out on a load of fun during a summer and autumn we were really looking forward to.

I think the outlook is good, but I am scared for my hand, because being able to move my thumb properly (though i’ve lost the sensation in its print) is so pivotal to playing guitar and piano.

We’re not a remarkably popular band even in Newcastle, so I know it may seem absurd and melodramatic to be worried, but being able to perform and write songs means the world to me (some quixotic future plans require it) and even if our music hasn’t meant shit to too many, it’s still involved a lot of time and sacrifice from us.
 
Some of the really kind things people have said to us recently after gigs or after our CD releases have really given me the impression that those who are into OML really appreciate our music nowadays. If you are one of those fans - and if I allow myself a little presumption - then I’m sorry if it bums you out to hear all this. It was my dumb fault, and thanks in advance for being patient with us, it might be a while.

David

OML need your help…

As we’re sure you’re aware, our new double A-side single is out on 23rd April, and we will be shooting a video for it on Sunday 1st April.

This is where you come in, because we need a fair few extras to be in it. You will need to be available for most of the day, and we will be starting pretty damn early, so take this into account if you have a big Saturday night planned (we of course never party on Saturdays - we just stay in practising our riffs).

Unfortunately we are unable to pay you or reimburse any travel/other costs, but as a thankyou we can offer any extras half price entry for our single launch gig with Withered Hand on Friday 27th April.

If you’re interested, send us an email at sickestriffs@gmail.com and we’ll let you know the full details.

New single & launch gig!

O’Messy Life are very proud to announce the release of our new single!

Once again released through local label Tiny Lights Recordings, it will be double A side single, featuring the songs Little Vehicles and Space Holiday, and will be out on 23rd April 2012.

Recorded at Blank Studios, the songs are a natural follow-on from OML’s previous single Escape Velocity - released last October - and both have been previewed at recent live shows. Those who attended our last single launch at The Cluny might remember Little Vehicles as the epic, blistering wig-out which concluded the gig.

To coincide with the single’s release, we will be playing a very special launch gig on Friday 27th April at The Central Bar in Gateshead.

We are also very excited that Withered Hand will be coming down from Edinburgh to play this gig, and will have members of OML and Agerskow as his backing band. Withered Hand has recently released the stunning Heart Heart EP through Fence Records, his first new music in over 2 years, following his critically acclaimed debut album Good News.

Tickets for the launch gig are £6.50 plus booking fee, and can be purchased from RPM records in Newcastle or online here.

First OML gig of 2012

We’ve just about recovered from rocking out as Andrew WK at NARC Magazine’s Stars In Their Eyes Christmas gig last month (photos here and a sideways-filmed video here - cheers to Mick Ross of Frankie & The Heartstrings for filming it) and are looking forward to our first gig of the year.

It takes place at The Cluny on 28th January, and we are supporting the wonderful Union Choir, who are launching their new single Your Melodica/Lavender.

Also on the bill are The Prison Library and The Lake Poets. Tickets are just £6 and include a copy of Your Melodica/Lavender by The Union Choir.

OML presents…

In the spirit of DIY, we have decided to bring some of our favourite up-and-coming bands from outside the area to Newcastle for a couple of gigs we are dubbing OML presents.

First up, we’ve asked Piskie Sits to come up from Wakefield for a practice room show at The Off Quay on Saturday 11th February. Piskie Sits are “four musical wanderers reminding us exactly why we fell in love with Sonic Youth and leaving us wondering whatever did actually happen to The Breeders” according to Gigwise, and they will be well known to Fakeindielabel gig-goers.

Support comes from our good selves and our friends Acrobatic Society. Tickets are £4, it’s BYOB and if you want more info, drop us an email at omessylife@hotmail.co.uk: 

Secondly, Adam Stafford and Radio Trees are both journeying down from Glasgow to play at The Head Of Steam on Saturday 3rd March.

Adam Stafford is a musician and filmmaker from Falkirk, Central Scotland. Now based in Glasgow he is the founder of Wise Blood Industries and was the singer and songwriter in the group Y’all is Fantasy Island (active between 05-11). Recently he has been concentrating on solo work and films, winning seven international awards for his short documentary The Shutdown, made in collaboration with Alan Bissett and directing a music video for The Twilight Sad’s single Seven Years of Letter.

Radio Trees is Michael John McCarthy, full-time Zoey Van Goey member and sometime accordion player for Aidan Moffat, The Trembling Bells and Lord Cutglass.

Also on the bill are Newcastle’s Symphonic Pictures and Dog Years, both longtime OML-favourites. Tickets are once again just £4, and can be bought here:

Summer Camp/Out Of The Trees/NARC. Stars In Their Eyes

As 2011 draws to a close, we have our last few gigs of the year to look forward to.

On Friday 11th November, it’s our last proper O’Messy Life show at The Dog & Parrot, where we’re supporting the amazing Summer Camp. You can buy tickets here.

Then on Friday 16th December, we’re letting our hair down (quite literally) and playing NARC Magazine’s annual Christmas Stars In Their Eyes gig. We - with the help of our friend Phil - are going to do our best Andrew WK impression.

Finally, on Sunday 18th December we are morphing into “Team Hand” to once again play as backing band to Withered Hand at Out Of The Trees in Warkworth.

Single Launch - this Saturday!

Our single Escape Velocity was out yesterday, and we are celebrating its release this Saturday at The Cluny.

Entry is £4, and we have also put a limited number of tickets for sale which include gig entry as well as a CD copy of Escape Velocity. These tickets are £6 and available here.

We are joined by our friends Nately’s Whore’s Kid Sister and The Lake Poets, plus there’ll be Whip Your Hair DJs after the show until late.

Nately’s Whore’s Kid Sister
“Like a drone-rock Radiohead” featuring members of Grandfather Birds and The Spies. Blistering, grim and fucking incredible.

NWKS - “I Will Never Feel This Love” from Nately’s Whore’s Kid Sister on Vimeo.

The Lake Poets
“The music from The Lake Poets provides everything you could ever want from an acoustic musician. The songs are laden with fabulous lyrics, subtle finger plucked guitar melodies and tender vocals” Amazing Radio

Photo

3 years (to the day) after our first gig, we finally get ourselves a usable press photo

London Show

We are very proud to announce that we have been asked to play Steve Lamacq’s Going Deaf For A Living night, which takes place at Club Fandango at The Bull & Gate in London’s Kentish Town.

It takes place on Thursday 20th October - that’s next week folks - and we’re playing with Driver Drive Faster, Sissy & The Blisters and The Chevin.

You can find more details here (if the Club Fandango guys haven’t got round to updating the listing yet, we’re “TBC”, honest!) and you can buy tickets here.

It also nicely fits in with our new single, out just a few days beforehand on Tiny Lights Recordings! BUY!