blackchords

Almost over the line

2012-07-17T23:47:00.001+10:00

Hey all.
We are sooo damn happy things are starting to take shape here in Blackchords land!!
The Album is almost done. artwork is starting to come through. masters are landing on our desks.
and it is sounding/looking amazing... This record has definitely had a lot of blood sweat and tears poured into it... But we're all very proud of what it has become!
The one thing we can start announcing is that we will be undertaking a national tour beginning in August... We already have ten dates and will be announcing more soon!!
Yaaay!! We'll be seeing you very soon!!
XX N.M

Thanks For Coming

2012-04-23T17:13:00.000+10:00

Hey we just wanted to say a quick thank you for all of you that could make our show at the Phoenix.
It was great to be back on stage playing again.
We are currently putting the finishing touches on our soon to be released single.
So stay tuned, for news of up coming shows, and the imminent arrival of "......" our new single!

XX
N.M

BLACKCHORDS & POZIBLE

2011-11-28T12:46:00.003+10:00

So here it is, we are finally about to begin recording Album #2

We are damn excited about sinking our teeth into it and have a new Album out for you early in the new year. There is big list of songs ready to record and in the moments that flow whilst in the studio there is sure to be more.

This time round we’re getting out of the city to record the album. Heading to a big shed close to the Yarra Valley to work with Producer Mark Stanley, surround ourselves with trees, fresh air and remove some of the pressures and distractions that can haunt you in the city.

The Album will be a completely independent undertaking and one of the ways to help fund it is to ask those who have supported the band to become part of the process with us.

To do this we have developed a page on Pozible. It is a “crowdfunding” website, which asks for pledges of money in return for exclusive offers from us, such as pre-order CD's & Digital Downloads, concert tickets, VIP gigs, a signed guitar, plus more.

It’s a new way to help support art which you believe in, there are already thousands of incredible projects in music, visual art, film and theatre that have come to fruition because of the support shown by keen lovers of art, like you.

We hope that you can spare the time to check out our page and we would love it if you could find some spare change to help us get this project running. We're not asking for the whole lot, just a starting point. Please spread the word and help us get a corker of album out to the world!!

Big Love & Thanks,

N.M, Damian, Tristan & Nick

If you have any questions or queries contact us through info@blackchords.com

Greetings for the Razor

2011-10-04T19:58:00.001+10:00

8.30pm for the next two Sunday nights sees Blackchords getting a song from the debut album on Channel nines Underbelly Razor. The series details real events that occurred in Sydney between 1927 and 1936. We've watched a few episodes and are pretty impressed with one of the better sides of Australian Television, and are excited to be incorporated into a great television series. The band at the minute are locked away working on all the creative ideas from the past 12/18 months to culminate into the next album. But alas these are just words and before too long your ears will hear our efforts

Luv Dim

What in the World?

2011-08-22T16:39:00.014+10:00

We have been busy in Blackchords land. The writing process is ongoing. We've been away in the countryside again for another writing session, there are some good sounds coming out of our collective brains at the moment, and are excited and inspired to know that we working well together and that somehow we are on the exact same page. Last week we spent a few days at 'The Shed' out in the hills recording some new songs. which we are hoping to finish any moment now. They are coming along and are a definite evolution from the last time we recorded. If we could we would be spending a lot more time with these recording sessions, but as we know there is always a time where you must stop. Its a nerve racking moment where you say "there you go we have finished" then its time to move on to the next project. Our aim is to get these songs to your ears sooner rather than later and then we can get back on the road and come visit ya'll again. This we can't wait to do!

We do sincerely thank everyone for your continued support, and patience.

On another note. We were very privileged to have our song 'Pretty Little Thing' remixed by The Daydream club in the UK, as part of their fantastic Night Remix EP. The song is already getting play on the Radio in the U.K and wish the Daydream Club the best of luck.You can listen and download the song for free by clicking here; and if you haven't heard it, the original can be downloaded for free on our Facebook page.

Alrighty take care all!

N.C

Born out of a country house

2011-06-09T13:59:00.005+10:00

So a few weeks ago we left the cold grey city to delve into the cold green country for four days focused on writing music. We set up in a small house, with the music gear in a bedroom smaller than most Melbourne sharehouse bedrooms, and what flowed out far exceeded our preconceptions and expectations. Waking up to chickens and horses at our doorstep was a good way to greet the creative process each morning, and after a full days playing and a hearty dinner at sundown, the creative process led to consuming copious amounts of Aldi $5 bottles of wine and double scotches.. coming full circle with us returning to the musicroom in the small hours for drunken/stoned jams.

What came out of those 4 days is a new direction in approaching songs for the band.. and a sound I believe we have been in search of for a while. There are still creases to iron out as the songs are so new, but the coming months will reveal some pretty amazing musical moments for us as we set these ideas into concrete.

We will be road testing these new songs in the gigs coming up over melbourne this winter.. so come along and tell us your thoughts on them. Next Saturday nights show at the Cornish Arms will certainly be a highlight.

On A Perch Waiting...

2011-05-15T22:28:00.003+10:00

I think that maybe the time in between blogs is too long… Maybe it is? But hey, thats the way it is….

We are constantly thinking of whats next. Trying to create. Trying to inspire… Trying to live like we wished we might.

Thats what we've always wanted. What we have always believed in.

The difference now is that we (Blackchords) have created something and you guys have payed attention. You have shown great support So now it is time for us to create once again and we hope to inspire once again. This time though we know its not just for us, its for you too!

This time we will be sharing something with the lot of you, and we do really, really hope it will connect and ring true. I've found my self at times going round in circles and at times coming up against walls that I don't think I will ever pass but recently I've realised that there is an art to it. The art is to know what is real and what is not. To keep going when you feel you've had enough and to engulf yourself with the inspiring world around and not to simply switch off and give in to the sea of distractions that can leave you adrift.

At the same time I know that it is well and good to 'know' something but it is something very different to actually do it….

Well I'll let you know how we are going next week sometime when we are locked away in the middle of nowhere with some guitars, microphones, pens, paper and of course a bottle of scotch!!

Oh another thing is that we think it is about time to do some shows, try some new songs and share in a drink. So if you are in Melbourne please come and share an evening with us during this bitterly cold Melbourne winter!

2011-01-09T16:47:00.005+10:00

Happy new year to you all. We hope that everyone has had a lovely time over the festive period and been able to spend time with those that you love.

We have had a short break and are now gearing up to get back into the studio and continue work on our new material along with our first show of the the year coming up on the 30th of Jan.
We've been invited to play on the day of the Men's Final at the 2011 Australian Open. We will be on the Grand Slam Arena stage, playing with The Melodics and Amy Merideth.
Entry will be via a ground pass, which gives you access to music and other entertainment, as well as being able to watch the match on the big screen. Show starts at 3pm, we are on stage at 4:30.

If you haven’t booked your Aus Open tickets you’d better get on to it or you can WIN tickets through us!!!

HERE IS HOW TO WIN YOUR TICKETS!

To be in with a chance to win tickets to see us play at The Australian Open all we want you to do is mention Blackchords in a post on your Facebook wall.

You can say what you like but obviously we’ll be giving the tickets to the most creative posts so let your imagination run wild. (Photos, videos, drawings, poems?!)

We obviously need to be able to see what you have written to award prizes, so make sure you tag us in the update. If you’ve never done that before just write an @symbol then type Blackchords.

NB. These tickets are Ground Passes (these do not get you into the centre court unfortunately)

Good luck & Thank you for helping to spread the Blackchords word.

John Lennon - 'Working Class Hero' Cover Version

2010-10-09T19:43:00.001+10:00

Anyone that has seen us play live in the last couple of years will know we often play a cover of 'Working Class Hero' by John Lennon.

To mark what would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday, we have decided to upload our version of this song for this weekend only. This version was recorded live at our album launch show at The Espy in April 2009.

You can listen to the track on our Sounds page, or over at our Myspace or Facebook page. We hope you enjoy it.

We are currently in Perth playing at The One Movement Festival. In addition to our two showcases Damian has been commissioned to paint this mural of John Lennon.

As Night Falls - Film Clip

2010-09-21T20:46:00.008+10:00

Hi all,

After a slight delay we are excited to finally be able to share the film clip for our new single 'As Night Falls' with you all.

We wrote 'As Night Falls' specifically for new Australian suspense drama 'BLAME' directed by Michael Henry. BLAME was launched at The Melbourne International Film Festival, and will also be shown at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival. BLAME also features our track 'These Light' which you can hear at the start of the trailer.

Watch the film trailer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdvrZP3mJBQ

You can download 'As Night Falls' from iTunes now. We hope you enjoy it!

Come down from the mast. Back on land. Getting used to my new legs. Getting used to the flow.

2010-09-08T21:14:00.003+10:00

Since we arrived home from touring we have somewhat secluded ourselves. There are many a friend and family member that we wished we could catch up with and spend time with. To do nothing at all with. But somehow time has been more elusive than ever.... More stretched and more etched into the forefront of our consciousness.... And, for now, we cant shake it!

The need to write, the need to create is here and it is now but... It is also a strangely difficult balance with this every day life. (Though I am determined to master it!) So I sit here in my studio and chip away and chip away, sometimes the river flows and sometimes the damn holds strong, but always hoping that soon enough we have something new to unveil to this great big world!

Tonight the river has been flowing. I have been working away at home in my little studio with Damian working on some brand new tracks including an absolutely beautiful song brought to us by him. A song that we call "human condition"! I cant wait till we finish it!

I should get back to it now... Its been a while since I last wrote but there you go. Sometimes it ebbs and sometimes it flows!

Much love from my cold little studio!

XX
N.M

Goodbye England you've been good to us

2010-07-30T00:20:00.004+10:00

Sadly, the end of the tour has arrived. At times it seemed like it would never end, in a good way, only to sneak up on us quite suddenly. To see and experience London and the UK in summer has been a treat in itself. The memories of hotel rooms, train journeys and venues will melt into a bit of a blur over time, but we hold on to the memories of great shows, the wonderful people we’ve met, and the amazing places that we’ve visited, however briefly. Our last show was really special, even with Nick breaking two strings mid-set, we managed to get by without resorting to bad new-funk jams, and finish the tour on a high. It's a shame that these things ever have to end, but we look forward to the rest of the year, with a single launch, supporting Powderfinger, and spending time writing for the next album. We can look forward to our next visit to the northern side of the equator, with the knowledge that it will be bigger and better than ever.

Nick Cheek

Watch our tour video here

A big shout out to all of you that made this tour possible and very memorable.
The familiar faces in the crowd that came to support us time and time again (you know who you are! the English, the Spanish, the Australian and the French!) Thank you!
Team Blackchords, Mark, Chrissie, Dust Devil & Sasufi!
Emms PR, Sue Buckler, Eileen, Gavin, Gaz, Jacqui & Harriet
Caroline, Mike, Rachel, Marky, Darren & Sarina (We would be cold & homeless without you!)
OZ Council, Sounds Australia, and Stage Mothers!
And everybody else that has been an integral part of making Blackchords

Much Love

Nick, Damian, Nick & Tristan (Blackchords)

As one adventure ends a new one begins

2010-07-14T02:41:00.007+10:00

From a sunny London morning I voyage alone on the train.Away from the blue skies and the angular walls of central London, into countryside of rolling hills, stone mansions covered in chemically charged green climbing ivy and set against a depressingly dense grey sky.

A misty rain, that looks as though it set in forever ago, hangs between the carriage windows and the horizon slightly distorting the scenery and giving me the desire to rug up and to sit by a lit fire. Not today…

I’m on my way to Sheffield, a city I know virtually nothing about, where tonight we will be playing the Forum. I should be travelling alongside the band, but due to a mixture of losing time, road works and a delayed train I am here by myself. I made it to St Pancras Station this morning puffing and panting rudely and frantically pushing my way past people on the escalators, juggling my guitar and rucksack just in time to watch our train slowly pull away from the platform sans the singer…
It’s our last gig outside of London and the beginning of our last week of the U.K tour. It feels as if the end of the tour brings about the end of another chapter. The past 12months has seen us playing many gigs, being on the road and becoming a live band. It has brought us invaluable experience, incredible moments and of course the harsh blows that reality can often dish out. We’ve also been lucky enough to play alongside some great and inspiring musicians and groups including The Church, Tim Rogers, White Rabbits, Dappled Cities, The Wagons, and Jordie Lane.

The return home to Melbourne will be a time to bring out new dimensions. We will be promoting a track “As Night Falls” which was written for “Blame” an Australian feature film which premiers this July. Shortly after we will be taking some time away to begin work on new material for the second Blackchords album. And a very happily accepted invitation to Join Powderfinger and Jet in Powderfinger’s last ever Melbourne show at the end October at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. You can watch our announcement video here.

I know that we have a lot on our plate and a lot ahead of us. The good and the bad, it’s all part of it and I look forward to it.

X
N.M

Late for Rehearsal!

2010-07-03T00:32:00.010+10:00

Travelling through the busy London streets in our Tour bus #63 which looks identical to the big red double decker buses they use for public transport!

Sitting upstairs clinging on for dear life at the front while the bus roars full steam ahead into a narrow funnel of traffic which (I am so sure) we wont fit through!

It reminds me that a week ago I saw the aftermath of terrible road accident where they had cut the roof off one of the cars…. Probably, because some bus driver drove at 50MPH into a gap in the traffic that he was never going to fit into!

I take a deep breath and try and focus on something else…. A beautiful field, with angels feeding me gooseberries…. (whatever the fuck they are?)

This wasn’t exactly how imagined this blog to turn out … But hey?

There has been soo much going on in this tour and in a way I haven’t had a chance to(or maybe its that I haven’t let myself) step out of it and think about everything that we are doing… Switching off for a while and bringing myself back into the present. It’ll come in time but not today.

We have spent quite a bit of time, travelling. Either crossing the country or just crossing the city. It’s a time I spend scribbling in my note book, thinking about the next thing to come or watching strange interactions (or lack of) between strangers on the street or in the underground..

Its also a time and space when I usually join the millions and plug myself into an mp3 player to get away.

This tour, as all good tours, has been accompanied by a soundtrack. A hand full of albums that I have been listening to on constant repeat. My new favourite right now would have to be Heligoland by Massive Attack. I was walking through the National Portrait gallery when I first put it on and it blew my mind, took me away and wrapped me in its incredible sound scape. I’ve also had revisit from my old hi school days with the best of blur…. I’d forgotten how much I dug them when I was a gangly teen!

Anyways I wanted to make a mix tape and share it with you all…. But I don’t have a tape recorder and nor do I know anyone who has one…. So as nostalgic as that may be physically make a mix tape…. I wont. Because that would be totally useless!

Instead here is picture of what it would look like

And here is the playlist!

Milly’s U.K Tour Mix Tape 2010

Side A

1 – Song 2 Blur

2 – Bixby Canyon Bridge Death Cab For Cutie

3 – Falling Down The Mountain INXS*

4 – Factory Band of Horses

5 – And The Boys Angus & Julia Stone

6 – Pray for Rain Massive Attack

Side B

7 – 1901 Phoenix

8 – Yeah Yeah Yeah Song The Flaming Lips

9 – Blue Blood Foals*

10 – Young Americans David Bowie

11 – Paradise Circus Massive Attack

12 – Tender Blur

Listen here: UKPlaylist2010

*Sadly not on Spotify!

2010-06-17T22:22:00.002+10:00

Its been a whirlwind of a month since coming to the U.K, with some incredible gigs and moments, hauling our equipment up and down Britain’s train lines and cobbled streets. It began with a trip to Brighton and the Great Escape Festival, sharing the stage with some brilliant fellow Australian bands, including Teenagers In Tokyo and Dappled Cities and some incredible international acts most notably White Rabbits who blew our minds.

Following Brighton came our trip to Liverpool for the Sound City festival and a particularly special acoustic showcase in the John Lennon suite at the Hard Days Night Hotel. We couldn’t pass the chance to jump on the white Grand Piano and try out some new tracks and a cover of Lennon’s Working Class Hero.

Last week we traveled to Birmingham to play a show with the epic Rogue States and work on a demo with producer Gavin Monaghan, known for his work with Editors. This is a track we have been playing live since our arrival in the UK. So it was great to finally record it. We are all excited by the results, definitely a creative departure for us, which will be carried forward on to the next album.

This week has started with a bang with our new single ‘Pretty Little Thing’ officially released and picking up airplay across the country. Today we found out the single has been featured on industry newsletter ‘Record of the Day.’ Tomorrow Friday 18th we headline The Barfly in Camden, (It’s after the football don’t worry!) one of the biggest shows of the tour to date and a great place to launch the single. To celebrate and thank everyone for their support we are going to be giving away two FREE digital downloads including ‘Pretty Little Thing’ and previously unreleased track ‘No Complaints’. If you can’t make the show don’t worry from next week we will also be giving these tracks away to our friends on Facebook and Myspace.

The second half of the tour is already looking busy and no doubt there will be many more adventures and stories. We have more shows in London before heading down to Exeter for a gig in late July. We look forward to meeting you.

The adventure continues...

1 year on....

2010-04-25T18:50:00.001+10:00

So on the eve of ANZAC day comes the realization that this time last year the band and all associated were working feverishly to bring the Australian release of "Blackchords" to the Gershwin room at the Esplanade Hotel . Today a year later Nick is recording with our past producer Nick Batterham on a song for an upcoming feature film to be premiered in July at the Melbourne International Film Festival. I was sitting there the other night with the piano being recorded in the kitchen, echoing through the house.. feeling privileged to be a part of this experience.

We're all still working feverishly for this band.. and its story has revealed people and moments that burn brightly in our creative minds. It good to know a year after our debut release.. these people and moments are widening to across the world. It is one of the most rewarding things I've experienced, to create with a family of musicians and friends whose talents work together as the sum of an awesome whole.
It's also just 2 weeks to go until we pack our cases and pile onto a plane heading for our next U.K tour. This, none of us can wait for, cause we know it is another stepping stone along the long journey onwards and upwards for the band and another great experience for a life we want to live. We want to celebrate with you all, but knowing that we have limited time left and a pile of things to do so we thought we'd double up a gig on Wednesday May 5 at the workers club in Fitzroy, Victoria with some drinks and a catch up. So if you are free that night come down for one last show!

dimmi

Out of the Wood Work

2010-04-17T19:00:00.008+10:00

....And the countdown to the U.K. is on! If I was told this time last year before the album launch that we would be heading over for the second time to europe in a year it would seem the words of fiction. But alas the Great Escape and all the other gigs along the way will be filling our ears, eyes and minds in less than a month. After a short little 2 week break with the band we're back into rehearsals in which enthusiasm is the captain. It seems with every meeting with Milwright lately there is more new material and buzz in the air. Recently we've played some excellent gigs, with a bit more of an acoustic side with Tristan playing the Double Bass. The Grace Darling is an excellent bandroom that everyone in Melbourne should check out.. and the gig there went well with the venue really looking after us. We also played the 'Between the Bays' festival in Mornington to a great crowd, and Earth Hour, at the zoo, saw the lions roaring next to us as we played on the bill with Australian music legend Tim Rogers.

For me the experience of being in London with its History, Creativity and sheer size and diversity put me in a creative place both artistically and musically that I'd always strived and dreamed to get to. To be playing gigs again in the next few months in Camden and Brixton, and also to experience new places like Brighton, Liverpool and Manchester(most of my favourite bands came from there), I'm counting down the days to my ultimate life on the road.

So make sure those of you in the U.K keep in touch and check the gig listing as we'll be adding new U.K dates to it quite often. And those of you in OZ we have been invited to play 1 last show in the first week of may it is still TBA, but we will be post the confirmation on our facebook page in the next couple of days.
Big thanks goes out to Mark and Chrissie as per usual for their hard work in making ideas realities, an everyone else involved in this bands evolution

Exciting stories and moments await

Dimmi

Blackchords needs your help!

2010-02-22T12:54:00.003+10:00

Blackchords recently entered Nova radios “I’m with the Band” Competition.

The winner of the competition receives radio play on Australia’s NOVA 100 as well as Publicity and a cash prize. This morning we found out that the Judges have selected us as one of the top 2 bands. This in itself is fantastic news, but now the judging for the grand final is handed across to the public! So we are asking you all for your help by jumping online and voting for us at the Nova 100 website. We also ask you to please spread the word and get friends and family to vote too. You will be automatically put in the draw to win yourself $5,000 AUD just for your troubles!!

To win this competition would mean a whole lot for Blackchords and really help us on our way to being able to create and play music for many moons to come.

Please click below and head to the website to make your vote for Blackchords.It only takes a few seconds and you can do that once a day until March 14th!

Thank you heaps for your support!

Blackchords

Lost on the Pretty Little Coast!

2010-02-11T13:11:00.019+10:00

It’s a few days passed the end of our tour and somewhere in the vicinity of 5,000km’s passed the beginning. It may be a common theme that I talk about cramming into the car and driving enormous distances across this vast landscape, but that is perhaps because it is one of the few certainties when it comes to touring. (that and the inevitability that I will leave my wallet behind in a rural town hours from anywhere!)

So it began at 6am on the morning of Thursday January 21. We gathered at my house and proceeded to amaze ourselves at managing to pack the mounds of equipment, backpacks , “driving food” and last but not least, ourselves in to Nick C’s Magna Station Wagon, and began our journey north to Coffs Harbour.

Just passed the halfway mark between Melbourne and Sydney is the only place, we have decided, that is worth stopping at, (other than a quick throw of the Frisbee and a stretch near the Submarine which somehow got washed hundreds of kilometres inland and lodged itself in the small country town of Holbrook) it doesn’t have an obnoxiously huge golden “M” pointing towards greasy, shit food and teenagers working for minimum wage. It is at the somewhat less impressive, (compared with a strangely out of place submarine) Dog on the Tuckerbox and the only place along the way to get something decent to chow down on.

After stopping for our ritual of salad sandwich’s and juice we were back on the road.

By now we had been driving for about 8 hours, and it was at about this time we had the horrible realization, that we weren’t even half way to our first destination yet. Every 2 seconds you begin rearranging yourself. Your legs are cramping, your left buttock goes to sleep, you’re too hot, (the air conditioning comes on) you’re too cold, you don’t know which way your head wants to go, your right buttock goes to sleep…. Etc. Etc.

Anyway 10hours later we made it to Coffs Harbour. And we were still alive. Slightly bent out of shape and delirious, but alive.

The next morning we were able to swim in the ocean before an easy drive to our first gig of the tour at the Miami Tavern on the Gold Coast. It was a night of many firsts, our first ever gig in Queensland, our first gig with the new Blackchords bassist Tristan Courtney, and of course the first gig with Grand Atlantic, and Sierra Fin. It was a good first show to shake out the cobwebs, get to know one another and launch the tour.

Over the next couple of nights we played the Globe theatre, Brisbane, which in my opinion is a damn fine, beautiful old venue in Fortitude Valley. There was a great vibe going on at the globe and we were able to move around on a big stage with ease and test drive our new track “’til the day I die”. The following night the Bon Amici, in Toowoomba. a great alternative venue with a stage that is a “Little” smaller than the globe. It was a good night for some chaos, I tried my hand at being a contortionist, but once I was fully tangled up in the mic lead and 2 guitars I realised no magic was going to allow me to escape!

We were able to spend a few free nights with friends in Byron and Coffs Harbour. Swimming, getting our pasty white Melbourne bodies burnt to a crisp, getting stung by blue bottle jelly fish, sea lice, and god only knows what happened to Damians face. When he woke up abruptly in burning pain and quickly swelling Mick Jagger lips.

5 and a half hours spent in a hospital waiting room to find out that yes he had been bitten by “something” and there was probably nothing we could do about it made sure that we weren’t going to have a leisurely drive back to Sydney for our next show.

It was cutting it fine to say the least. We made it to the Bald Faced Stagg, piled out of the car, quickly got dressed in the rain on the footpath and made it inside with just enough time to get a beer and to get on stage.

The next day we were back in the car heading to Newcastle for our final night in NSW and then the long haul back home to Melbourne.

Its been sometime since playing in Melbourne, something we had definitely missed. A crowd of new faces mixed with some familiar ones came down to show support at the Curtain band room. And despite my amplifier slowly dying on stage, the tour ended with one of the most enjoyable gigs I’ve played for a long time!

Big thanks from Blackchords to all of you that came along to the shows and to Chrissie, Big Tree Artists, Grand Atlantic, Sierra Fin, Danny, Amelia, John, Pete, Mark, Jemma and Roz you guys are ace!!

Click here for Sasufi's official tour pics

N.M

Summer Tour Dates Announced

2009-12-14T12:31:00.008+10:00

It feels like it has been a long time since I have seen the band. Almost 2 weeks in fact.

We have had a little bit of time off from one another, and it feels strange!

I have been sitting at home writing random words, random dreams, and random thoughts down in my book. Hoping and waiting for them to merge and to create a coherent body of new songs and melodies. Right now it looks as though some 1940’s scientist has smashed some atoms into billions of little pieces and is now scratching his head trying to figure out how the hell he is going to put them back together.

And there is nothing else in the world he’d rather be doing!

This week we will get back in the studio rehearsing and trying to fit some new pieces together, and start the process of getting ready for our next big leap into touring.

We have just now confirmed all the dates for our first tour of 2010. Which will be focussed on a good part of the Australian East Coast/ South Coast and will launch off on the 22^nd of Jan. It’ll be something new for us as we’ll FINALLY be getting to Queensland and also be sharing the tour with two more great Aussie acts, Grand Atlantic and Sierra Fin.

Its going to be good fun, cramming into the van, playing music, meeting new folk, looking up at the stars and learning how not to drown in the ocean!

Bring it on I say!

N.M

On the road back to Melbourne

2009-11-30T12:40:00.002+10:00

We have just played our last 3 shows of 2009 in Sydney.
We are back in the car again early in the morning and are now about 2 hours from the concrete hi rises and terrace houses of Sydney’s city.
Driving through the bone-dry, bone-coloured hills, underneath a factory of heavy dark grey clouds, lined up and moving slowly along through the otherwise blue sky on their invisible conveyor belt.
It’s the first time I’ve looked at this landscape for a while and I feel quite intrigued and inspired by it. I have the idea that sometime soon I’ll come sit on these hills for a few weeks, write some songs, watch the stars and probably read a Bill Bryson book… That is until Damian, making some strange falsetto noise in my ear, distracts me from the outside world. Pretty soon we find ourselves trying to laugh without using any facial expression whatsoever. It goes on for about 5 minutes before the outside world distracts me from him again.
The clouds have now joined forces to become one big black blanket and are now releasing all their raindrops. It’s coming down pretty damn hard on the windscreen and on to the bone earth.
I start thinking about how contrasting this world is compared with what we have been looking at in France and England. The rolling hills have turned from green to brown and the old stone villages and churches have gone, replaced with volcanic boulders and skeletons of trees.
Even though I know that the land here is in drought it still looks incredibly beautiful.

Right at this point in our journey back to Melbourne we go through cycles of speaking deeply of philosophy, the world, music, and life then falling silently into our own thoughts, listening attentively and singing along with whatever music is playing on the car stereo, then out of nowhere we spark into some incoherent, slightly sleep depraved idiotic humour. Most people would probably respond by looking blankly and slightly bewildered. But in the state of mind that we are in we just double up with laughter and continue to spiral further and further from anything comprehensible. Occasionally it is broken briefly by me fucking up my laugh with an unwanted snort.
Then as suddenly as it starts it stops. It goes back to deep conversation again.
This cycle should probably last another 3 or 4 hours before our arses fall asleep, our joints become fused and we become slightly irritable and plain old over it.

I can see that these long trips in Australia travelling from city to city packed with all our gear like sardines into Nick Cheeks’ car are going to be quite common for us in this coming year.
I look forward to playing more shows, seeing more of this country and becoming the band we really want to be…..

X

N.M.

Coming Home

2009-11-09T10:26:00.003+10:00

The excitement of air travel seemed to wear off after about 8 hours squished into a tiny seat not knowing which way to put my head, cause any which way is uncomfortable and didn’t allow me any sleep. I thought maybe I should try drinking some scotch to send me to dream world but instead I just ended up with a splitting headache and a serious case of pink eye. But somehow along the way I was apparently so engrossed watching the flight path on my screen (Or maybe it was Transformers) I didn’t notice that a flock of seagulls or some other sort of aggressive bird tried fighting for the best nesting spot in my hair. They departed, Obviously, but left me with this amazingly weird mess of tangled and boofed hair on the side of my head….????

Anyway that is all over now and I have a 14 hour stop over in Singapore before I continue on to Melbourne.

I do look forward to getting back into the studio and start Jamming with the boys again. And to tell you the truth get a good coffee and some sun. I’m beginning to become ghoulishly grey coloured…. That with my “Pink eye”, Birds nest, and sleep deprivation I’m sure the Australian customs will quarantine me and want to put me down cause they think I have some sort of new exotic French Farm Animal disease. “grippe de chèvre sale moche”….

But….. If I do make it out of customs then I will see you soon. For our next few shows in Melbourne and Sydney….

I should go and I’ll write again soon. When I am more awake and make sense!

Much Love

Monsieur Goat Flu!

N.M

The Roads We Take and the People We Meet

2009-10-29T21:28:00.006+10:00

I’m back in Paris after the wrap up of our tour over the weekend. Back to reality I guess?
It’s all happened so quickly. These months of preparation and past 2 months of touring France and England are now a fond memory.
On the way back to Paris I began writing this blog, but after a minute or 2 I found myself watching the rows of seats down the isle of the Eurostar, looking at the people that were inhabiting them. I found it mind blowing at how many different thoughts that would be floating through everybody’s heads right that second, and that how everybody was on his or her own journey somewhere. Wherever they wanted to go. Pretty soon I was off on a tangent. I decided I needed to spend my last few pounds at the bar, and finish writing there.
It’s been an incredible journey for Blackchords. Always scattered with hurdles but always rewarded with the knowledge that we are heading in the right direction. It has been great to wander the streets of Paris and London, finding inspiration in its ancient walls. To live and breathe music everyday.
It is what we have been after for quite sometime.
Every gig we played was unique and we found a different energy with the crowed and in the room. So when Mark asked me which I thought was the best show? I couldn’t really answer. We’ve played with some great bands and we’ve met some amazing people, who I know we’ll get to see again. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
Each of us has loved every minute of being over here in Europe and so in someway it’s a little bit hard to say goodbye and head back to OZ. But we know that we still have a long way to go as we are just at the beginning. We have many more great experiences to live at home and elsewhere in this world.
On that note many many thank you’se to the people we have met along the way,
To Emms, to Claire and Sue, Dust Devil, The Blackchords team, Sasufi, and Arnaud Betrom (our French Bassist) who is a King! Can’t wait to do it again.

XX N.M

À La Prochaine

2009-10-01T19:38:00.007+10:00

We’re pretty much finished up in France for now.
The boys have gone ahead to
London and I’ll be catching up with them in a few more days.
Our last show here was excellent. Playing to a full room and responsive crowd on the other side of the world was very much welcomed by us.
They were very kind not to try and throw empty bottles at my head when I attempted to sing a cover of Alain Bashung’s “Je T’ai Manqué”.
After the show, it was nice not to have to pack up and leave straight away so we could hang out and meet some very lovely locals and even some Australian and UK visitors too!

All in all our time here in France has been an awesome experience, and if not for the excitement of bunkering down in London during October I’d be pretty sad to moving on.
We got a good taste of what Paris and France is all about, the food, the wine, the beautiful streets and buildings. The inspiring art, history and of-course the passionate French people.
We have decided we like it and hope that we can have some more soon!

Oh and BTW this coming Sunday @ 4pm Damian and Nick C. will be heading down to the Islington acadamy for the Australian Times home grown BBQ. They will be guest DJ's and signing some CD's. We have a limited number of guest pass's to give away so email mark@blackchords.com for more info and to get your name on the door.

Also a huge thank you to Sasufi for all her hard work and on organizing our France gigs.
She has just put up a new blackchords.com photo page... Check it out!

XX Nick M.

On The Road

2009-09-19T01:22:00.007+10:00

We are on the road somewhere in the French countryside travelling back to Paris, with Sasufi and the Dharma Bums, after our show last night in Nantes.
Its only 8:30 am and we have been driving for 2 hours. The car is well and truly packed and it’s my turn to squish into the non-seat in between the equipment. My back is nicely cramped, my left leg has got pins and needles in it and I have no way of shaking it out.

Inside the car has gone quiet, looking at the angle at which everybody’s heads are crooked I’d say all but Nick C.(who is driving) has passed out. I’m watching Damian fight hard to keep his head on top of his shoulders. It keeps falling sharply to one side then quickly bobs straight back up again. Holds straight for about 6 seconds then falls right off again. He’s been in this battle for about half an hour now!
Outside the sun is finally beginning to burn through the grey mist and shine on the old stone farm houses that are spotted across the hills and every now and then we pass by a small dense village with a huge church spire at their centre.Each building and city I see holds so much history. It’s something so foreign to back home. I love it.
I’m still pretty hazy after only having had 2 and half hours sleep. So I haven’t had a chance to think about the show last night.

From my fuzzy memory tho I feel like it was one of our best gigs so far.There was such a great energy in the room that couldn’t be quashed even by my terrible attempt at speaking French.
I was very moved to hear the audience singing along in their French accents to Broken Bones and again to At Worlds End after they called for us to play it for the 2nd time. I did feel a little strange at playing a song twice in one set but it was definitely worth it to watch them shout along to the chorus.
I really hope that it won’t be too long till we are back in Nantes. Hopefully for a little longer next time…

XX
N.M

**Check out some more photos from Nantes.