Reviews from the Gassienda

From my point of view it was a top gig! A bit alarming to go into a club on the 23rd November and for it to be totally Christmassed up, but it did make me feel very festive. (thanks Uncle Johnny)

As usual I didn't get to see the lovely boys in the support bands, Minus Jack and Fifteen Stories, though I do believe Minus Jack nearly got to see me - two of them ran into the makeshift dressing room as I was swapping bras. I'm not sure who was more shocked, me or them. (Probably them as they are punky little teenagers - some still at school I believe!)

Anyway, to the set itself. 10 songs, that seemed over all too quickly. I was nervous before hand, as I always am, but even more so seeing as this was the first gig with new guitarist Owen. I needn't have worried. The band were as brilliant as ever, and once again I must thank them for all their hard work and commitment. The sound of the band is really shaping up now (as you can read in the reviews - links below)

Shame that there are tables and chairs around the stage - doesn't really promote people coming forward and dancing - though we did manage one person on the dancefloor in front of the stage!

During one technical hitch I had to resort to the gig waffle that all front people have to have in hand at some point. Talking in between songs has never been my strong point - but being in such a friendly crowd it seemed really easy. I decided to recruit members for the ShoeShoe Club early, rather than its usual slot of just before Soho Sophisticated. It's at this point when you lay yourself bare .. when NO-ONE comes forward. Thankfully there wasn't a tumbleweed rolling past, but it does put you on your back foot when you don't get a response! I got the impression from some girls at the front that they were WEARING their favourite shoes, but didn't have a picture of them to offer to the shoe shrine. (note to self - next time bring camera on stage!;-)

Still, that blip aside, it was a fantastic gig. There is something about a Northern audience where they seem pre-disposed to having a good time. They come ready to tap feet (even if they ARE sitting down!). It's a lot harder to warm up the nonchalant London crowd! No matter HOW good you are.

Either way, it's just a shame that that was the last gig this year for 50ft Woman. I hope to be recording in January and have the first London gig penned in for February. but I tell you, it won't be long before I'm back up North again!

Read the reviews for yourself ...

The Gassienda Website
The Keighley News

Photos uploaded from Gassienda, Keighley 29/11/07

New photos have just been uploaded from the Keighley Gassienda gig on 23/11/07, (thanks to David Brett). What a fantastic night! Full gig report to come very soon - watch this space. Not much on the ShoeShoe Club front - I thought Yorkshirites were just as much into shoes as me .... most of them were WEARING their fave shoes, so I suppose that's something, still, 3 new blogs to lok forward to in the next week (Minki's musings will be due an update too - plus a couple of giddy self-portraits from after the gig ;-)

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New Photos!!

We have now uploaded a few more photos for your delectation.

You will find 2 new collages in 50ft Woman spotted, plus a few new pics in the Minki self portraits section.

Enjoy.

http://www.50ftwoman.com/text/stills.htm

50ft Woman off duty? Read and weep.

Want to see what Minki does when she is off duty from being 50ft Woman? You can now read her personal blog at http://www.minkismusings.blogspot.com.

50ft Woman on ESSEX FM 96.3 - 102.6 FM **CORRECTION

Just to let you know that 50ft Woman will be on Music Control on Essex FM 96.3 tomorrow (Friday) at 8.40pm.

If you can't get Essex FM, listen on the internet at http://www.essexfm.co.uk/. There is no excuse!!

There will be a clip of Minki introducing herself and then Kevin will play Ultra Violet. The show is also played out on other local GCAP Radio stations, so it should be good publicity. To find out what stations near you has Music Control from 7-9pm go to http://www.myuploaded.co.uk/, where you will see a list of the stations.

This will also take you to the Music Control website and we want everyone to go to http://www.myuploaded.co.uk/50ftwoman and vote!!!

We will be uploading a clip next week for those of you who miss it.

Ship Shape and Bristol fashion - Report from the Good Ship

It's taken a while to write about the Good Ship gig. Not because of anything negative. On the contrary it was one of the BEST gigs that I have ever done.

And I was totally hyped for weeks afterwards, in fact I still am!

We were due to go on at 7pm which worried me slightly. It was very early for a gig, outside was still sunny and the world and his wife seemed to be across the road in the beer garden of the pub opposite.

As there was no soundcheck as such, I turned up and then immediately rushed off to get ready (thinking I only had about 45 minutes). But then came a welcome phonecall to tell me one of the bands had dropped out and we were now on at 7.45. Great, even more time to take to put the makeup on, except that I had nearly finished and didn't have a lot left to do.

This is a BIG deal. My pre-gig makeup application is a ritual, a religion almost. I love putting makeup on and I don't wear it that often, and I have the timing just right. So to have nearly finished and then to find out I have another 40 minutes or so was actually excruciating, even though knew it would hopefully bring more people in!

So we ended up going on at more like eight o'clock which is a much more reasonable and party-ish time, except a felt a bit guilty about the people I had bullied to get down there early. The turn out was good and the feedback was excellent, but if everyone who had PROMISED to come, had come, then it would have been even better.

I gave out shit loads of fliers, and yet nearly everyone who came down to see us knew by word of mouth. That's just typical of London! It does make you wonder whether working your arse off to promote a gig in the way that I did, really pays back. Still, it was sooo good to see so many faces, as at the first gig everyone was in the shadows, and I have realised that I LIKE to see FACES. Then I have someone to sing to! Everyone at Glusburn stood quite far back, so their faces were in shadow and I didn't feel the gig went nearly as well.

Also one of my worst nightmares happened, before I had even opened my mouth to sing! I don't really like to talk much before I go on. I like to get into the 'zone' (god that sounds poncey, but it's not meant to be!). The Good Ship doesn't have a dressing room, so I was planning to 'hide' down the corridor and just waltz onto the stage at the last minute, as normal.

Except I totally misjudged, forgetting that the band had to do a line check first. I got on stage (and a tiny little stage it is too) and thinking we were going to launch straight into Glycerine Machine, tested the mic, only to find out that it didn't work. But to be honest, it would have looked a little strange if I had then got off stage again, particularly since there was nowhere really to go to! So I literally had to stand there, on stage, whilst the sound guy changed the mic. For what seemed like an hour, though it was probably about 5 minutes. Usually I would be cringing and it would ruin a gig. But strangely, I felt more relaxed, realised I had loads of people around me supporting me, and it was a great gig from the off!

Sadly none of my friends (at least 3 of which ARE photographers) remembered to bring their cameras. I gleaned a few pictures from various mobile phones that people took, plus a mobile video clip which, though the sound is obviously a bit distorted, gives a minute or so of Psychic Hygiene, which I will stick up in the next few days. (Going to try and fade in and out so it's not so 'raw'!!

I didn't even get the usual tipsy self portraits that are the usual tradition post gig.

The ShoeShoe Club also saw it's first outing, just at the start of Soho Sophisticated .. this is a new club for followers of the shoe deity. The idea is that there will be shoe shrine and followers will bring their offerings at the appropriate time (beginning of Soho Sophisticated) which will then be posted on the club website. It's a place and an excuse to celebrate shoes! OK, if you don't like shoes then the shoe gods can be appeased with Chuppa Chup lollies. ;-) More details of the ShoeShoe Club can be found on http://www.shoeshoeclub.com/.

Next gig - back Oop North in Keighley and I can't wait!

What the people said;

"where has 50ft Woman been hiding? "

"coolly glamorous image, needle-sharp lyrics and a hard driving band "

"they look good and sound great "

"it’s no good playing ‘spot the influence,’ of course she has influences, but 50ft Woman has that rarest of qualities in music, originality"

...awesome, sounds like Garbage meets AC/DC!

50ft Woman Live - Photos from Glusburn

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Gig(gling) again - Report from the Glusburn Institute

A lot of people asked me why on earth I chose a place like Glusburn to do my first gig? Well, let me tell you, having done it, I don’t regret it one bit! Glusburn might be a small place but it’s got a big heart. For those not so good at British Geography, Glusburn is near Keighley, just north west of Leeds. It was the obvious choice for a low key gig as my rhythm section Martin (drums) and Steve (bass) come from ‘round those parts’ so they knew the area, knew quite a few people and as I’m a Yorkshire lass bred, the thought of doing a non-London gig and seeing what the reaction would be like seemed like a good idea.

The problem with London gigs, particularly if you are a band FROM London is dealing with the ‘corsawills’ crowd. No matter how many friends, family or colleagues you have in London, they are basically spoilt for choice when it comes to going out. So when you ask if someone is coming to your gig, you will get the answer ‘course I will’ (hence corsawill), but then as always happens in London, something happens or something better comes along or they mean to come and simply forget.

Then there is the other breed of London gig-goers; the cynics. The cynics attend a lot of gigs, have a lot to say, but will always skulk by the bar being cool, won’t come and tell you afterwards if they liked it or not and may not even come at all if they don’t think the venue warrants their presence.

None of this helps when you have been booked by a promoter who demands that you pull at least 40 people through the door and you are lucky if 12 turn up. Let’s not get this wrong either, all the people who promise to come really mean to, and probably really like your band, they just suffer from Londonitis!

And so I figured that doing a gig in a small town near Leeds would be a good non-pressure alternative.

Well how wrong was I?? This was probably one of the most nerve-wracking gigs I’ve ever done. Along with the worry that I hadn’t been on a stage in my own right for a couple of years was the suggestion of a possible visit from the 50ft family, who had never seen me perform plus the fact that we hadn’t been able to schedule that one last rehearsal.

But the day of the gig didn’t bode well, with a 6 ½ hour drive up the M1 punctuated by roadworks, Sunday drivers out 2 days early and buckets of rain. And that concerned me, as rain is not a gig friendly liquid, tending to discourage people from coming out to a gig, particularly to someone they’ve never heard of!

Upon arrival, the venue didn’t disappoint – a gorgeous Grade II Listed impressive stone building with a high stage befitting a 50ft Woman!

I’m never one for mingling before gigs preferring to arrive just before we are about to go on, apply some more lipstick and get into the ‘zone’, I am really NOT good at waiting. I just want to get on there and have done with it. And the unavoidable delay we had due to having to find a replacement bass drum (thanks to the oversize one being broken during the support act) did not help matters.

And within what seemed like the blink of a 50ft eye, it was all over. A fantastic gig. Everyone, band and audience thoroughly enjoyed themselves. In fact I only found out that the audience had enjoyed it so much, the morning after – typically the whole audience decided to stand so far back that due to the lights on stage I couldn’t see ANY faces or expressions and could only go by applause. TIP; next time don’t be scared – please come to the front, it means so much to our fragile little egos and I don’t bite .. well… er … only gently ;-)

Mind you, we did manage to offend at least one person within 2 songs of coming on stage! Apparently one Glusburn local, dressed appropriately for the weather, took exception to the song Anorak and assumed I was singing literally to him (I suppose you’re an Anorak, boring Anorak, get lost Anorak COULD be taken like that ;-)) and stormed out. TIP 2; Never take song lyrics personally, 50ft Woman lyrics have a multitude of different meanings! And anyway, if you are that easily offended, you probably shouldn’t be there in the first place!

I can’t believe how quickly it was all over. All the panicking and worrying seemed for nothing. And as per usual, I walked around after the gig a little bit shell-shocked, high on Adrenaline, and talking at about 1000 miles an hour to anyone who came to talk to me.

It was so nice to be somewhere with a crowd who are so appreciative and genuine. I could get quite addicted to playing up there, and we have been asked to come back again! Everyone is so friendly and really tells you what they think, and it really did feel like a proper night out, rain or no rain, anoraks or no anoraks!

Sadly I developed the lurgy the day after and ended up spending Saturday night, instead of celebrating with the band, in bed watching Eurovision for punishment. I am definitely owed a northern night out!

And as well as the lurgy, I cam e back with something I hadn’t had before; the confidence that this DOES work, it’s not just a name, some songs on the internet, or a persona. People get the songs, they get the band, they get the whole 50ft vibe live. It’s hard when you are a solo artist, as you don’t have the constant discussion between band members. Every decision is down to you, and that can make you question every little thing. This did me the world of good.

Can’t wait to do it again.

And hope you’ll come to a gig AND stand near the front!

And though this is not an album with sleeve notes, I DO want to take the opportunity to thank some people as I do feel that it was a momentous occasion for me! And it’s my blog, so I can write what I like!

Firstly the 50ft boys – Greg, Marcus, Martin and Steve (special thanks to Steve for the fantastic promotion and organising of the gig)
The 50ft boys’girls – Claire, Rachel, Sharon and Laura for putting up with everyone when they were so stressed out and running around (and getting no sleep the night before)
Glusburn Institute – a little gem of a theatre
Keighley News for the first 50ft Woman exclusive – it looked marvellous.
Stuart (sound) and Mike and Malcolm (lights – I still owe you that pint)
The Assembly - for a fab support (even though sadly I missed you)
Woodland House Guest House – for even offering the garage so I could fit in to sleep

And what people said:

“ a massive presence”
“I loved Ice Cream Man, my kind of song”
‘Can’t wait for you to come back’
‘ It was like watching that first gig of someone you just know is going to be huge’

Oh and sadly I have no news about the placing of the single – It didn’t feature in the Top 40 charts and I was unable to find out exactly where. But never mind – most fireworks come with a slow burn fuse nowadays.