Crook has been scribbling.  We’ve now added the entire back catalogue’s lyrics to the website.  We’ve also thrown in everything from the forthcoming third album, The Pros and Cons of Eating Out, for good measure.

You can get to the lyrics either by choosing the Lyrics option from the black menu bar or by using the drop-down list in the Browse page (also on the menu bar and a source of many other treasures besides).

Got a lyric stuck in your head but don’t know (or can’t remember) the song name?  No problem, just type a few words into the search field (at the bottom of the sidebar or in the Browse page) to find out more.

I’ve loved going through this stuff and finally reading the occasional line that I’d never been able to work out.  I always suspected that “peachy-raw innards” wasn’t quite right, though it seems I wasn’t too far off the mark…

You can leave comments or questions at the bottom of each individual lyrics page.  Now’s your chance to ask away, or to tell everyone how you came across a particular song or why it means so much to you.

Last week we scrabbled together with the view of getting some up to date photos taken for the forthcoming album. As is the way with some experiments, in didn’t quite yield the results we wanted. The long winter has taken its toll. For the most part we look moody and far too serious, perhaps our spirits had other things on their mind, not willing to play game for the lense and lights fantastic, but in the end, they just didn’t quite capture the essence of what we believe, is who we are. Of all the photos taken, here’s the most animated. As you can see, we look damaged, tired and worn, a little perverted, and only mildly psychotic, and that I feel, is being too kind.

Other news. I’ve been finishing off a series of illustrations called CAN’T BEAR, which at some point will appear as a little booklet. It’s kinda light-hearted, a beginners guide to the darker sides of my mind, and yours too, perhaps. I’ll let you know more when they’re ready to go. Here’s a rough taster . . . “CAN’T BEAR SMACK HEADS”

“

Otherwise, after 7 painful years of words and worms, Hg, Sam Hayes and myself, gathered round a few bottles, and with pens and pads, between disgusting the Oxford comma, agreed to kick start the beginning of what might see the End for that damned story I’ve been writing. No dead lines or dates, just heavy editing to come. If confusion and certain madness doesn’t infect them also, a completed draft is more than likely some time this year.

And finally, now album number 3 is nearly ready to go, just waiting for an official release date, I’ve been getting back to picking and plucking, and after months of shít spilling out of my mouth, I am pretty pleased with the way things are beginning to go. Glimpses of Spring has brought with it the welcome return of mild mannered insomnia, long walks less any particular destination, and evenings gently drowned in cheap red wine – all I need to tempt me from this bleak winter depression. At long last. Inspiration!

x

CroOk

Hell O.

Mr Crook here, speaking from my hand-made soap box, placed as precariously as ever… somewhere south of madness, north of a better place, deep in the Medway mud flaps.  I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that we’ve been busy hatching our plans for 2010.  With the new album near fixed to throttle, its eggs in their last stages of gestation, it’s time to tell you a bit more.

First, you’ll probably notice that the logo now says “Lupen Crook” and the website domain name has been changed to lupencrook.com.  If we’ve done this switchover well enough, everything on this site should still work as it did before.  If not, I suggest you take it up with Hg.  In the coming weeks we’ll be revamping a few more things and adding further treasures, like the lyrics for pretty much every song in our back catalogue and all those featured on the forthcoming album.

For those of you who are curious about this name change, I must impress on you that The Murderbirds have not taken flight or been forgotten.  My beginnings as wandering folk fuckhead to the present day Crooked Family have seen numerous changes in line-up.  Because creation insists upon variety and progression calls for constant re-evaluation, this name change became inevitable.  However, the people that have until now been referred to as The Murderbirds remain my nearest and dearest conspirators.

Nevertheless, life had gotten a little too crooked for even this Family . . .

Those of you who have seen us live would have seen me play solo gigs, as well as gigs with The Murderbirds – full electric band to “box set” acoustic outings and a whole host of different combinations in between.  Quite simply, the practicalities of a penniless band being able to maintain a consistent line-up have always proven tricky.  As well as this, the ever-changing nature of what we do has often made it necessary for different combinations to come together as and when creativity dictates.  This state of constant evolution sometimes confuses people and, of late, had been confusing us too.  The simplification of the name addresses this issue.  Whether performing by myself, perched on a bar stool, or screaming out from a stage alongside my rag-tag gang of punk rockers, the message has always been consistent.  Now, so is the name.  Be sure, I have not “gone solo” and The Crooked Family is still in full effect.

This is all part of a plan to build on last year’s successes, to learn from the results of our self-funded, self-managed, self-release experiments and to ramp things up to the next level with the help of additional resources.  To get our message and music further out into the world.  Mostly it’s about the securing the continuation of what we love doing, ensuring we have the freedom to draw upon all our resources as necessary, without compromise.

So, all is well in hell.  My f(r)iends and I will be telling you more about what’s planned over the coming weeks.  We’re aiming to get back into more regular communication with you now we have a better idea of where we’re headed.  Apologies for the absence, I hope to speak with you again very soon.

xxx

Firstly and foremost, sorry we’ve been out of sight since the New Year. The Crooked Family are currently busy in the back rooms, sketching out precious plans for our 2010 expedition. We will be back with you all shortly, I promise.

Secondly, I’ve had a tiny nightmare trying to get in contact with the promotor for tonights planned gig at The 333 Club. The air was dead, until this morning when a message suddenly appeared, and so it seems the promotor has been having some problems, and so, the evenings proceedings have been cancelled. To those of you who didn’t already know this, and were planning to come along, I apologise – its out of my cold blistered hands.

I hope this finds you all well in hell, Happy New Year.
Lupen Crook
xxx

A few photos from last Friday, our last day in the studio.
For some reason every photo was a close up of our hungover and weathered heads. I’m not sure what was going on with our camera phones that day… so not much of an insight really. Sorry. However, there was one massively gay group shot… who would have thought that only eight hours before we were all rolling around on the floor having a band fight.

Anyway,
We’ve  now finished recording and mixing the Album!  It’s a whole lot different from the EP’s we’ve released this year. I want you all to hear it now!

Next stop…
Artwork!
x

Love Underground, as performed live last night at The Ivy House in Nunhead.  A curious, cosy and crooked little venue, all the more special for its off-the-beaten track location.

The gig tonight at Proud Gallery has been reshuffled slightly by the organisers.  Bands are now playing in a different order.  Not sure exactly who’s on when, so best get there early.

Yo,  Anyone around this weekend?

We have two gigs in London, and we will also be celebrating Hg’s birthday… he dont look a day over 70… that man’s having a good gig!!!

Come join in the fun.

Ivy House, Nunhead – Saturday 21st Nov (on stage approx 9pm)

Supporting our friends and fellow Med-ites  Up-C Down-C.  £3 entry.  I know what you’re all thinking, Nunhead’s not even a real place. It is! Check out all this info – only 15 minutes by train from London Victoria to Nunhead station, then a 15-20 min walk to the pub (map here).  You can also take the train from London Bridge to Honor Oak Park, then it’s a 25 min walk (map here).  Use the National Rail journey planner for train times.

Some other useful shit…

Last train back to Victoria is 23:20 (arriving 23:38).  Last train back to London Bridge is 23:40 (arriving 23:52).  Otherwise, the N343 night bus runs from Cheltenham Road.  Turn left out of the pub and walk to the end of Stuart Road, bus stop EK is directly opposite.  It goes direct to Trafalgar Square every 30 mins from 00:27 onwards and takes about half an hour.

Proud Gallery, Camden – Sunday 22nd Nov (on stage approx 10pm 9pm?)

A Fellini-inspired night… I’m embarrased that I don’t know much about this guy, a very interesting film maker.

Proud Gallery is about half-way between Camden Town and Chalk Farm tube stations (map here).  More information in the flyer above.

Bob’s been away on tour with Motorhead for what feels like ages now but we’re hoping he’ll be back for this one, banging his box loud and proud.

Show Yourself.

Tom x

Due to unforeseen circumstances the gigs tonight have had to be rearranged. Sickness has befallen certain members of the Murderbirds. Both gigs tonight, the Beacon Court and Style and Winch, are now to be performed solo.

• 8:30pm @ Beacon Court, Gillingham.
• 10:00pm @ Style and Winch, Maidstone.

For those who are coming along, make sure you grab the flyer that will allow advance access to the Curse Of The Mirror Wicked EP.

Lucy Langridge and I spent the day locked away in her chaotic and crooked workshop, melting, cutting, bending, and shining little pieces of silver. And so, another batch of puzzle piece charms are ready to go. We also started work on a new design (pictured above). Based on the original Kill Cats Pendant this new charm is now available from the shop.

Medway Eyes is, in its own words, “an informal umbrella organisation that supports, promotes and collaborates with Medway artists and venues”.  It recently celebrated its first birthday with both a gig and the release of a downloadable bundle of music, pictures and words, entitled ME1.

Alongside Lupen Crook’s Kick Up The Leaves, the compilation – named after central Medway’s postcode – contains material from numerous Medway musicians, many of whom fall under the loosely-defined ‘Medway Non-League Extreme’ banner referred to by Mr Crook in an interview last year.

In keeping with the charitable theme of this week’s blog posts, the ME1 compilation is “donationware” and supports both Oxjam and Amnesty International.  It provides a fascinating insight into the diverse creativity of Medway’s thriving artistic underground.  Download it now and check it out.