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

Last Thursday evening, various members of The Crooked Family converged on The Hope, near Google Street tube station, to film a video for the re-recorded version of The Pirate’s Wife, which features on the forthcoming album.

After our own DIY video efforts last year, it was a pleasure to see the band working with a friendly and clearly competent bunch of professionals, overseen by director (and new manager) Bruce. We’re eagerly awaiting the results.

In the meantime, here’s a little “making of” video to give you a flavour of what happened on the night. Make sure you watch it all the way through… the album has reverted to its original working title, which is revealed at the end.

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

Here’s Dave Wise’s latest short film, enjoy . . .

“Memoriacide, featuring live music from Lupen Crook and Oliver Burgess played at locations in the Medway Estuary, showing Cockham Wood and Darnet Fort, Hoo Ness Island and Darnet Island. Filmed by Dave Wise in September 2009 during a canoe journey we took. The title refers to the killing of history; which is what Medway Council are guilty of by refusing to save the forts and islands from the river, and also what I am doing by showing this film and introducing the locations, which will in time encourage others to go there and no doubt ruin them, as we generally do. A very human failing, this lust for passing on information to please; to get close in some way. As the old traveller writer’s saying goes, we each kill the thing we love.”

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

Away from the harsh rain we stayed, singing songs, singing along, watching and wondering that wednesday night away. For those of you who couldn’t make it down to The Command House for the brilliant opening of Dave Wise’s new short film, here’s one of two that were shown last night.

To view other short films by Dave Wise follow this link.

Not to go on and on and on, but if you’ve downloaded the Curse Of The Mirror Wicked EP and enjoyed the songs, please consider making a donation to YoungMinds.  These people are doing good work for our fucked up society. Go sign the petition as well!

Thanks to everyone who has donated so far.

xxx

click on each image to view full size, a huge thank-you to the crooked family for a great weekend and a very merry unbirthday to hg,

x