Amongst many other things, I’ve been shooting video footage like a demon over the past few months.  Much of it has lain gathering dust, due to the impossibility of trying to divide thirty-six hours of work amongst twenty-four every day.  (Sleep?  Pah!)  But then Fizzer Rippon got in touch about a podcast he’d put together from our recent Crooked Family night of Fight Folk in Medway and that was the kick up the arse I needed.

Fizzer and his colleague Grace Bell present a regular show on Radio Sunlight, a local community station in Gillingham.  They approached us at the Lounge on the Farm festival over the Summer, asking if the band could come into the studio for an interview and session.  Everyone was enthusiastic, but the logistics of work commitments, London residences and the price of train tickets were against it.  Bluntly, shit got difficult.

We invited Fizzer and Grace down to the Beacon Court to do an interview there.  I also suggested that, as we had such faith in the line-up we’d put on that night, they cover the whole evening and talk to the other bands too.  This they duly did.  In fact, the other bands made a better job of it than we did… circumstances on the night meant that our interview had to be postponed.  Crooked Family being Crooked, etc etc.

Fizzer’s podcast of the night’s interviews is online here.  And what a joy it is.  Dave, we think you’re a cunt too (but we’re glad it was a “proper gig”).  Tomb & co, we await your descent into My Drug Hell with eager interest.  Chris and your fellow Singing Loins… the only decent response is: Grand Godfathers.  We urge you all to listen to this podcast… such a beautiful record of a wonky night.  And the guy at the end…

So, here’s some video footage of the other bands that night.  I did also video Crook & Co, but not for very long.  My muse Stella was calling, there was dancing to be done… Mrs Lucy Langridge encouraged me into the mosh pit and there was pogo dancing of a kind probably most unseemly for a man of my advancing years.  And then afterwards the Fight Folk began in earnest… but that’s not a story we’ll be recounting here.

The Flowing - [title unknown]

The Sans Pareil – Shack Rave

The Singing Loins – Please Take My Scissors Away

The Crooked Family sends its love and respect to The Flowing, The Sans Pareil, The Singing Loins and all who attended.  This night was one of the highlights of our year.  Our first hunt completed, we’re blooded and eager to return to the chase.  We’re already debating venues & line-ups, mixing Crooked concoctions like mad professors crazed on moonshine.  Expect further “Crooked Family Presents…” evenings to come.

Your dysloyal servant… Hg xx

PS – if you want a downloadable MP3 of the podcast to listen to offline, right-click / ctrl-click here.

A few days ago, photographer and one-time terrorist suspect Monaxle posted a drawing by his young son Elijah, a revealing and splendid interpretation of us lot playing live. Fucking brilliant, looks like flying crucifixes flying chaotically about the stage, not to mention we reckon Bob’s been depicted holding a can of  Stella!

In other crooked news, my elegant slut of a cat, Sweet-heart, gave birth to 5 kittens, her second litter. One kitten was a little too curious for its own good and sadly failed to make it through the night, its little mouth was as dry as a desert and body still as silence. Depsite Walt Disney Dalmation style rubbing within a towel, there was no saving the poor bugger. I put that one to rest the other morning. Here’s a quick snap of 1 out of the 4 remaining, and by night, very noisy little beasts, who once again have chosen my art corner as their hideaway. Meanwhile I’ve been spending my days writing and recording rough acoustic demos for the follow up to “The Pros and Cons . . .”, – tales of teeth and feet and the possibility of a bright blue light at the end of this tunnel – whilst also considering putting my brush to some canvases for the first time since all this album chaos kicked off. Time will tell how it all pans out. For now, love and luck to you all on this crisp winter day x Yours SINcerely, Lupen Crook.

Strange ways with our band, and Sunday just gone was no exception. 12 hours of intense hilarious hardships and absolute humiliation, all in aid of our latest expedition into the ever wondrous world of film making. On this occasion we offered our good selves up into the able hands of Mr John Bland, who played puppeteer to the cruel to be kind, and Lady Ane Angel, a woman who made quick meals out of me and the now bruised and beaten Murderbirds. Hard to say much more about what actually went on yesterday, but one thing is for certain, it was no day of rest. As for today, well that UNCUT reviewer may have been onto something, because I really do feel like a very naughty boy. More news will follow when we’ve had a chance to recover.

x

CroOK?