Thursday 26 February 2009

The Kabeedies rocked at the Ruin Thurs 19th review


Sorry it has taken me so long to get around to this, I have only just recovered.

THE KABEEDIES TOTALLY TOOK OVER THE PLACE!!!

The gig was awesome, I knew it was going to be ace when HEXA played. The 8 piece Brooklyn maestros were 8 dates into their 2nd UK tour when they hit the ruin. Playing a storming set of about 15 or so 2 minute Gems. The highlights being 'Hurt me again' in which Preeya and Davis perform a well rehearsed conversation and argument through the song (it's about shagging around I think) which has extra spice added when you know they are a couple in real life! and 'Classes' which bubbles along like any Phil Spector Classic.

By the time The Kabeedies got to the stage it was going to be a hard act to follow. Looking at them as they took the stage, young innocent, bedecked in floppy fringe and spray on jeans all Doc Martin's polished to an immaculate shine by mums gentle hand, you had to worry for them. Any Paternal instinct on my part was misplaced however as from the word go they turned into a four piece ball of energy that finally burnt itself out 30 mins later. The new song 'Fuzzy Felt' was spectacular as was 'King Canute' the only disappointment being the absence of 'Treasure Hunting' from the set.

If you were a Dilbert and missed it don't worry, I have them back on April 30th, see I really look after you don't I

the mothers ruin podcast episode 3 - ‘i have a real problem with george lamb’


the mothers ruin podcast episode 3 - ‘i have a real problem with george lamb’

Its that time again, our monthly podcast (sort of) with all the bands coming to or played at the ruin and my rambling ranting self trying to hold it all together.

"I have a real problem with him, he is not even funny, and he know f-all about music. ‘Put him on to it’ I want to put him onto a stake!! I am sorry if you like him but I don’t, he reminds me of Noel Edmonds, I bet he likes all the stuff the NME goes on about and thinks Oasis are cutting edge. Tosser."

http://themothersruin.podbean.com/

Le Tetsuo + Zebedy Rays 27.2.09

Le tetsuo are driving all the way from Norwich in a 15 year old Fiat Tipo to be with us on this night, on top of that commitment to the Bristol gigging public they are Fucking ace as well. so don't miss them pay them your respects.

also on the Bill the Zebedy Rays from left of the centre of the universe in the hills that hold the secrets. They can walk talk and sin as well as doing it quite well

Marmite Mike will be DJ ing afterwards so it will be Brill

Come along

Tuesday 17 February 2009

The Kabeedies Live at the Ruin Thurs 19th


Yes this thursday, its upon the 19th of Feb when the world went wild and Bristol Opened it's hearts and let in The Kabeedies. This Gig really is gonna be the best, I have put the Facebook event info below and look out for an interview on here and in the podcast after.

Straight out of the Norwichcore scene, apparently, come The Kabeedies; a group of young rapscallions whose ages range between sixteen and eighteen years old and who appear to have quite a pleasing penchant for producing the kind of inoffensive summery two minute pop songs that are very much enjoyed by all.

They describe themselves as hopping between the genres of indie and punk - and with their rapid and energetic blink-and-you'll-miss-it sets, you can see why The Kabeedies are a band getting noticed

www.myspace.com/thekabeedies

THE KICK INSIDE

"...artful, like a latter day Echo and the Bunnymen with Johnny Marr and bigger balls"

Drunken Werewolf Magazine -

'The Kick Inside's four members were more likely to have been playing with fuzzy felt, hiding in bushes and drinking orange squash than following bands through the eighties but judging by their first demo their hearts never left.

'To Be Someone' starts out like a bar brawl between Brett Anderson and Johnny Marr. As it turns out they get on well, reliving "sex symbols" of a bygone era when drummers understood subtlety and funk was implicit. Politely refusing rather than rejecting modern culture their lyrics pine for a return to the values of black and white films and C86 bands, though chances are they'd prefer them shot in digital and played through a decent amp.

Like The Wedding Present without the feedback 'Because Of Her Sex' flows with Morrissey's Charming Man era delivery from a heart of second wave feminism. Tied up in a guitar line both rockabilly and ornate, the song skips along in a defiant sadness that's wonderfully anachronistic while sounding fresher than the heap of supposedly new music flooding HMV and the NME. If a Smiths reunion ever happens, and it never will, then a song like this would definitely justify the wait.

Finishing the demo "Of Love and Flesh" is reminiscent of one of the less 'twee' Sarah Records releases. It's a summery field mice song about "bike(s) without wheels" and leaving irons on, very mid 80's southern England. It's completely out of touch with the current Gang of Four influenced indie scene and is all the better for it.'

HEXA

Hailing from Manhattan, Hexa’s live act is like the best summer-camp talent-show entry you’ve ever seen: A motley group of guys and gals sing and play their hearts out, offering short bursts of good-time pop & roll with playfully hormonal overtones. Shades of Spector, Iggy in the Bowie years and British indie means you will not forget this band when you have seen them.

Lego Castles formed in early 2008 at Bath Spa university and since then have been gigging regularly supporting the likes of Esser, The Volt and Kill It Kid making a name for themselves around the South West. The band play upbeat-indie-pop and draw on bands such as Los Campesinos!, Tokyo Police Club and Johnny Foreigner.

www.myspace.com/legocastles

Sunday 15 February 2009

Spleen and The Fleshmachine - Naked, wild and free

Friday the 13th, a time where most of you supersticious people opted to stay at home because the turnout was shocking. And you missed a show because of your pecadillos, Oliver Spleen the 6' 5" undertaker-esque frontman of the wonderful Flesh Happening treated us to the very last outing of his one man Freak show, Spleen and the Fleshmachine. The electro-disco-shoutascreamathon saw Spleen almost take to the sky via our balcony and plunge down onto the unsuspecting masses below in a raging fury, shower himself in glasses of what appeared to be urine (but was probably water) and finally tear his clothes off bare his buttocks and simulate sex with a step.

His songs, dark and twisted morality tales of failed relationships and lots of anal sex, good and bad! I suggest you check out , 'Useless Pumping' (on the next podcast or on the myspace www.myspace.com/spleenandthefleshmachine. Alas, the act is no more but Oliver will be back with his new band Pink Narcissus soon i hope.

Friday 13 February 2009

Free Tapas!!

Off to work already !0.00am will be there until 3 tommorrow morning! Free Tapas dosent cook itself! Tonight we have the Eyelids From Falmouth playing and also the wonderful Spleen and the flesh machine!!! Cant wait

Thursday 12 February 2009

Los Imbasils and The She Creatures Tonight!!!



TONIGHT AT THE RUIN, TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS THE FANTASTIC LOS IMBASILS AND BRISTOL'S OWN OUT OF SPACE LADY INVADERS THE SHE CREATURES ALL IN AID OF OXJAM!!!!! COME ON DOWN!

Busy day at the Ruin - Breaking Band news!




Well, yesterday was a busy day at the Ruin, everybody seemed to confirm at once. First were the fabulous Brontosaurus Chorus and Worcester indie pop punks And what will be left of them..? Brontosaurus Chorus were ace at indietracks festival last year and I have known AWWBLOT for ages (Chris, the drummer used to work for me poor lamb!) and they are just as good. Watch the listings for details. Both are out touring new releases on London's Popart Label.

Next up were De Rosa, signed to Mogwai's Chemikal Underground Label and with upcoming sessions on Marc Riley's 6 music show and Vic Galloway's Nations portion in the Zane Lowe slot on Radio One. (3rd April but don't tell anyone!) They will be out touring their new Album 'Prevention' which is released on 2nd of March. A real scoop for the Ruin.

The Day after on the 4th April we have the accumulated Weirdness of Gnu and the Shrew from Manchester at the Ruin, Croaky torch singer style vocals over music hall accompaniment, look out for them on the next podcast as they will surely make themselves apparent to you. Again they will be out touring the release of their debut Lp 'Time for tea'

Just one more Gig to tell you about on 5th of March Between us and the fire will be playing along with Bristol's An Axe and Big Jeff's band N.M.A

Don't miss

Wednesday 11 February 2009

Podcast passes 300 hits in last 48hrs

This may not sound like much but it is for us!

Listen Yourselves

www.themothersruin.podbean.com

ALL FFFFRRRREEEEE!

HEXA - BROOKLYN INDIEPOP



Anyone who has listened to our Podcast will know that I have been going on about these guys ever since I found them on Myspace and persuaded them to add us to their second UK tour. (19Th of Feb if anyone is interested) They mould 50's/60's Girl group pop with British indiepop to come up with a mix that is infectious. I have been singing 'Classes' to myself for about six weeks now, bringing about strange looks from one and all when I get to the line 'He's in one of my Classes'! Please check out there myspace: www.myspace.com/wordculture it is a real treat with a new track having been placed there every week for the past six. I particularly like 'well,well,well' which for some reason sounds like a mid seventies tune that could have been performed by The Bay City Rollers or Racy! Check it out or better still come and see them on the 19Th, You get the added bonus of seeing Norwich's The Kabeedies, baths Lego Castles and Bristol's own Twee Superstars The Kick inside. You can hear all of them on our Podcast too www.themothersruin.podbean.com

Big Pink Cake @ The Mothers Ruin


I might be jumping the gun here but Big Pink Cake are bringing their celebrated indiepop night to the Ruin. Starting on April the 11Th, the first line up will include the absolutely fantastic Manhattan Love Suicides and Horowitz as well as a DJ set from Rocker (dandelionradio.com). Hopefully this will be a regular thing!!!

Tuesday 10 February 2009

Bare Threads to play Bloom Festival!!


I've just picked it up on Twitter that Bristol's Bare Threads are to play the 2009 Bloom festival in fair Gloucestershire. The Bristol based band burst onto the scene last year and have been going strong since. They played to a packed Ruin at the tail end of last year and made it to No.4 in our top ten gigs of 2008. The Bloom festival line-up was strong last year and given some sun will be even better this year. Roll on the Festival season I can't wait!

All the details on Bloom (including early bird weekend passes at just £50 Quid!) can be found on the website

http://www.bloomfestival.com/ and The Bare Threads on http://www.myspace.com/barethreadsband

FAMILY MACHINE PLAY THE MOTHERS RUIN


STOP PRESS!!

Oxfords Family Machine have been booked to play an exclusive show at the Ruin. We can't wait!! It's a way off (1st May 2009) but it should be ACE!!

Here are a few reviews to whet you appetite!

REVIEWS FOR THE DEBUT ALBUM (out on Alcopop Records, spring '08)

" Each song has a strong melody and a clear identity, this is a band that I would expect to stumble upon on a rough trade compilation, in a geeky record shop or late at night on BBC 6 Music. A band that deserves to be heard, the kind to name drop if you want to seem like you know what you're talking about. They're a modern day Bluetones, a chilled out Maccabees and a young-again Supergrass all rolled together."
Repeat Fanzine

"What the Oxford four-piece do really well is balance indestructible bubblegum with the delicate and the vulnerable... So while ‘The Do Song’ is irresistible and ‘Ko Tao’ is a summery glam stomper... ‘Burn Like Stars’ and tales of past-love like ‘Reminds Me Of You’ are stunning... Centrepiece ‘Got It Made’ allows them to really flourish"
Die Shellsuit Die!!

"an album that promotes the dreamer in all and is folk-acoustic pop gold ready to be sieved into the collection of the daring and broad-minded... The acoustic influences are appropriately attached in wide-eyed childlike naivety and create a blend of powerfully emotive songs that walk the side of raucous masculinity and poignant delicacy."
gigwise.com

"...a fantastic album of semi-acoustic pop, that can make you dance on the tables downing sangria one minute, and slump weeping into your whisky the next. Highly recommended."
oxfordbands.com

"...an album of sweet, fun pop music that carefully manages to mix emotional shifts and understated wit... a treat"
Nightshift Magazine.

Mothers Ruin Podcast - Garage rock Special!!!

A little sample of the excellent Garage Rock That is about to Hit the Ruin. All thanks To Elmer and His crazy FratHouse Cats…

We do our best at The Ruin to try and bring you the best in all genres and as Bristol sports one of the leading authorities on Garage Rock it would be churlish of us not to try and share this with you.. So Hats off to Elmer long may it continue..

Download the podcast http://themothersruin.podbean.com/ or find it in the iTunes store!! its free there!

1. Ring Dang Do By Los Imbasils www.myspace.com/losimbasils 2. Doreen by Muck and the Mires www.myspace.com/muckandthemires 3. I do as I please by The Branded www.myspace.com/therealbranded 4. When You’re young you’re Dumb by The Deadly Vibes www.myspace.com/thedeadlyvibes 5. Sabotaje by Los Pataconas www.myspace.com/lospataconas 6. Catch This by The Dissolutes www.myspace.com/thedissolutesuk 7. She Creatures Invade by The She Creatures www.myspace.com/theshecreatures

Monday 9 February 2009

The Dissolutes - Garage punk a go go....


Worcesters Finest Garage rockers The Dissolutes have new tracks up on their Myspace page, It will be a welcome crumb of comfort for all of us waiting for a proper E.P. release, hopefully they will get around to it sometime in the near future.

The stand out track is 'Catch This' a punky slice of scuzzed up fun that shows vocalist Matthew Crawford's talents off at their best. Halfway between the proto-punk of the Sixties (The Monks. The Sonics) and the late Seventies (Kilburn and the Highroads, The Rezillos) and with a dash of present day throw in for good measure (The Black Lips) you won't hear much finer coming from these shores in 2009. We at The Mothers Ruin have included it in our Garage Rock Special Podcast which is available to download now @

http://themothersruin.podbean.com/ or on The Dissolutes Myspace www.myspace.com/thedissolutesuk

HAIR TRAFFIC CONTROL + CALL THE DOCTOR (FRI 6.02.09)


Friday saw the full on debut of Bristol Band Call the Doctor, who played their first live set to a well mannered and adoring group of friends and family. Unsure of herself to start vocalist Patti Hart warmed to her Task as the gig went on and despite complaining of a sore throat pulled of a decent gig. As soon as the rest of the band warm to her obvious energy (hit the drums harder, drummerboy!!!) their brand of stadium friendly alt rock will win them fans amongst people they have no personal connection with!

Next up were Hair Traffic Control, the truly awfully named math noodlers from Norwich. A seven hour direct journey from Norfolk's sleepy capital had seen them arrive in Bristol for their first Gig of the new year. Building on the release of their second E.P. 'These are the Dogs in My Life' and previewing songs from their forthcoming new release (currently being studiously mastered by Richard Clarke, the keyboardist from BSM's House of Brothers) HTC arrived to an air of lazy anticipation. Not the most high profile band in Norwich (that name again boys!!) they started off with an aural assault on an audience firmly committed to the AOR friendly rock of the first band. By sheer dexterity of touch, The twin attack of Dan Harvey's guitar and Chris Neil's bass had the audience almost immediately, leading them through the math rock Behemoth of 'The Last Man in Irkutsk' through the early Firehose style light touch of 'Boots and Cats' to the triumphant encore of the pop-math 'Thanks for the Beer'.

They deserve more coverage, infinitely more interesting than many of the current crop of mathy noodlers (This town needs guns anyone?) You can't help feeling that name might have something to do with it!!

Thursday 5 February 2009

Nicky is a willy!!

ALRIGHT, I know I am a pretty liberal sort of guy, you have to be to run The Ruin, but the little prick who decided to tag the wall ON THE FUCKING DANCEFLOOR last night needs to be chemically castrated at best. You don't desreve to be able to breed you inconsiderate fuck. Think of other people who have to clear up after your sorry little arse all the time, if I ever find out who you are I am going to gut you like a fish and scoop out your heart with a blunt spoon!!

I think thats reasonable don't you.

As to Vanessa and the girls who put on the night last night , thanks for a great time, hope we can do it again next month!

Wednesday 4 February 2009

The first of the first of the first.

The first post. Until today I had not considered doing a blog. Not sure if thats how you say it doing a blog sounds like a faintly disgusting sexual act. Anyway I'm doing it now.

I have decided to write and tell you all the things that maybe going on, have been going on and will be going on at my pub The Mothers Ruin. Thats all the lovley new music we put on, all about the strange creatures that play it and come to see it and various random facts about nothing at all. You might want to read it, you might not.

Anyway, last Friday (30.01.09) the wonderful band Nought graced us with their prescence. They were really quite good, a little bit jazzy for my own personal tastes, but if you like The Minutemen crossed with John Coltrane they would have been right up your street. Unfortunatly they had egos bigger than Bono and pissed the bar staff off no end, despite us doing everything we could to make them welcome (free food. free beer). When the drummer started screaming like a small child about his wallet being stolen (he left it on the pool table, idiot!) I was tempted to believe in divine retribution. Unfortunately he found it later.

Sat (31.01.09) saw another Splashback! hit the Ruin, If anybody reading has ever been to this night of bizarre, random mess they will know why we are still clearing up from it. I just have a couple of notices, could whoever left their Asda own brand jockey briefs stuffed in the gents cistern (they had had a little accident, poor love) please come and claim them from behind the bar, and please could everybody stop drawing cocks in the condensation on the windows!!! it's doing me swede in!

  Well, tonight we have a big party for the UWE textiles course, fundraising for their show. And on Thursday the Jelas host Nitkowski + Shield your Eyes which should be BOSS!! tell you about it later!!