This week’s song is called Insufferable and quite clearly at times I am. Be warned I kick the mic stand about a 3rd of the way through and didn’t have time to redo it so if you are listening at full volume prepare for a Jaws/Carrie moment.*
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Tonight I’m playing at The View 2 in Mathew St, Liverpool supporting Kirsty Mcgee. I should be on at 9pm.
Thank you to those of you who have written to me about my leaving of Liverpool. xx
* aaaaagghh
This week’s song is called Carry It With Me and I’ve written it because me and mine are moving away from Liverpool in October to Glossop in North Derbyshire. I’ve never lived more than 10 miles from where I was born so it’s an upheaval for me but one I think will be good for both my family and myself. I’ve been in love with Liverpool for so long, and still love the place so much, but there are times that needs must. I’ll elaborate on the move further on another post sometime soon.
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I’m thinking of holding a Leaving Of Liverpool party with bands and songsters playing and will try and sort something out soon. My last Liverpool acoustic gig for the foreseeable future will be at the View 2 Gallery in Mathew St on Tuesday 2nd September supporting Kirsty Mcgee. The Zen Bank of England are playing at The Hark To Towler in Tottington, Bury on Thursday 4th September.
Written with old mucker Brian Chin, this week’s song is called Use It Or Lose It. It’s a bright poppy number which I think is about the state of the nation, or sex appeal. Or both.
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This song has been on the boil for a while now and I sung it to Mark Byrne in a hotel room in Inverness and he asked if it was accapella so I thought: what an excellent way to do a song I have no idea how to do… It’s called I Like.
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Mark and I had a wonderful trip up to Inverness to take part in the fantastic Belladrum Festival. Our wholehearted thanks to Rob Ellen of Medicine Music and nessmp3.com. Full story with some photos later in the week.
This week’s song Don’t Try This At Home might well refer to the attempted vocal gymnastics about 3/4 of the way through; far too early in the morning for that kind of thing…..
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From tomorrow (wed) until Saturday I’m in Inverness at Hootannay on wednesday evening, Brockies Lodge thursday evening and on saturday at the Belladrum Festival (Potting Shed Stage) at 3.15pm. Playing all the gigs as a duo with Mark Byne. Details on the gig page.
Here’s a set of photos by Paul Chong at last week’s Merseyside CND gig at the Bombed Out Church in Liverpool.
Find more photos like this on flyinshoes
Some acoustic gigs coming up and here’s a flyer/poster thing that you can print out and draw false taches on and the like. Or not.
The Inverness shows will have the lovely Mark Byrne noodling on guitar with me and the View 2 gig is supporting Kirsty Mcgee.
It has been too hot in my attic roon, far too hot for any sensible activities, so I waited until this morning to do a quick recording of this song Josephine Says. It’s about moving away.
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We had a fantastic gig at the Bombed Out Church on Saturday; a lovely sunny day, CND banners, hay bails and music. We did a cover of Nick Lowe’s ‘What’s So Funny About Peace Love And Understanding’ to finish off our set. Lovely day out and I’ll post some photos soon.
This weeks song is called It’s A Strange Life and indeed it is. My brother Chris plays bazouki on this song and he sports a beard that seems to say ‘I play bazouki’, so I’m happy with that. Since posting this Chris has informed me that it is spelt bouzouki. I knew that, honest.
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This is the 30th song of the year and if you would like to listen/download the other 29 too, scroll down or play the podcast player to the right. You can have the series automatically updated each week by subscribing for free through iTunes or whicherver podcast or RSS thing you use.
This coming Saturday, 26th, we are playing at the Bombed out Church (St Lukes) at the top of Bold St in Liverpool. It is for a Peace and Ecology Festival being run by Merseyside CND and there is music and other events on all day. We are on stage at 6pm for 40 minutes.
It seems that in my universe Tuesday is the new Monday… This week’s song is called Give Me A Chance and is a throwaway number I suppose; an unholy mix of Faces, Dylan and Beatles (I wish) noisy guitars and all that.
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As usual all the songs in the podcast player on the right or scroll down the page if you enjoy lowbrow discourse on each tune.
I wrote 3 songs this week and can’t say I was really pleased with any of them. And i ‘ve had a sore throat and all that kind of palaver. Excuses excuses.
I’ve gone with Old Fashioned the one I wrote first because I managed to record it, although I have rewitten the words since. It’s a song about nostalgia and disgust I suppose, perhaps even a mid life crisis song. I bet you are really looking forward to hearing it now!
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Podcast containing all songs to the right or scroll down for the rest of the songs.
Full band gig on Sunday at Stamps Bar in Crosby Village. 7pm Free!
About 10% of the songs written this year i consider finished. By that I mean the melody, chords and words rather than the recordings, I’m hoping to re-rcord as many as I can, and this week’s is no exception, it’s partly written. It’s called Indigo and is the first I’ve written with it being a possible Capatin Pop song (See Shut Up & Sing in the Music link). I’ve been speaking to fellow crew member Brian Chin about doing some more of that stuff and he likes the idea so we are throwing stuff at each other. He’s sent me a boss instrumental track.
The idea I had was for what I call retro-onica but it’s turned out nothing like that! Quite a nice tune though I think.
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All the song a week things are in the podcast player on the right (subscribe for free through iTunes and others) but I’ve also expanded this WHOLE page (phew) so you can scroll down and pick and choose.
The photo for the banner at the top was taken by Will Woodrowe at The Cavern as was the one I’ve used for a gig poster (see below). Download print and distribute as you see fit. Or put it on the wall over the damp patch. Then again most of you probably don’t put posters on walls anymore. Bloody wallpapering.
This week’s song is called I Asked My Darling and its a doomed relationship song. One of those where someone knows the other person doesn’t love them but they hang on anyway. Tragic huh?
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Few more Bank of England gigs added with more to come and I’m playing some solo (or duo, not sure yet) in Inverness at The Tartan Heart and Belladrum Festivals between 6th and 9th August. Full details soon.
I have a compilation CD available at gigs called Cherry Bowl. It’s 22 songs taken from It Just Is, Shake It and Shut Up & Sing, if you’d like to buy one drop me a line. I might be making it generally available but not had time to organise it. All the songs can be bought at iTunes if you are into that kind of place (I am) and I’m hoping to also make everything available at full uncompressed bit rates with full artwork in the near future. So many plans so littler time.
Off swimming now, take good care. x
A few weeks ago I did a gig in Southport with Andy White to help raise money for the New Victoria Cricket Club who are humble little side playing in the lancashire leagues but who last year managed to beat the Bulgarian national team! They have organised a return to Bulgaria and also this time to Romania, in July, taking with them various bits and pieces of cricket gear they will donate out there. These are still very poor countries and cricket teams are very low on list of priorities but sport is a great way of forging friendship (forget about Chelsea for a moment) and it is a brilliant thing they are doing. Visit the New Victoria website for more details.
At the fundraiser I was asked if I would write a tour song for them. They wanted it dumb and sing alongable and it is certainly dumb! I understand they are going to do a video for it and will stick it on youtube when available. Will keep you informed.
The song is called Play The Game and is a bit of a departure I suppose but I have had previous where dumb sport singalongs are concerned, so it’s not totally unexpected.
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Podcast feeds and all the songs from this year on the right of the page
A day late with this one but worse things happen at sea. It’s called Betty And Me and is just guitar and vocal. Bit hissy sounding but you can pretend it’s an old 45…..
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Usual rss and podcast feeds to the right.
This, or rather next week’s song is early is because a) I wont be here and b) it’s my 10th wedding anniversary (sorry ladies…..) and I had to write a song about it. See, I had promised a trip to Paris for our 10th but I’m a musician and things never turn out as they should, particularly if it takes money. Not that I’m mean, just skint.
So what’s a poor boy to do? Write a song.
It’s called Shadows (Anniversary Song) and I started writing it on Monday and finished it last night. It’s a very happy song because who wants to dwell on the times I’ve been an idiot over the years? Not me.
In the end the only thing that matters is love as long as you can survive. It’s easy to count your blessings when you have some, so allow my indulgence and enjoy the song.
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As it’s about half way through the year, I’m hoping to sort the A Song A Week thing out so it can be explained and the songs accessed easier. In the meantime use the podcast player to the right to listen and download.
Love x
I dreamed the other night about Edwyn Collins. I had just watched the documentary about his rehabiltation following 2 strokes, it was really moving and uplifting. In this dream there was a theme tune and this is it. Well as far as I can remember anyway! Not entirely how it went, I think, as dreams are full of the unattainable.
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Great couple of gigs this week with The Bank of England at The Cavern. Really exciting and dynamic though I say so myself, others told us the same, so there:).
We are going to keep on learning and rehearsing new songs and old and will be playing more often. Thanks if you came down to either of them.
Here’s song number 22 (two little ducks quack quack) called Sweethearts and Swells. A bit of a Nick Lowe/Elvis Costello vibe going on here I think. Very short slice of power pop.
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Podcast and feeds over to the right.
Couple of Bank of England gigs coming up this week at The Cavern as part of the International Pop Overthrow week; Wednesday 21st at 10pm and Sunday 25th at 1.30pm.
All gigs are free admittance.
Sorry, we’ve had to cancel the Crosby Festival gig.
The song this wek is called Have A Good Summer. I’m not too good with summer days, when everyone is sunbathing I’m in the shade reading and complaining that it’s too hot. I like the evenings though, when it’s warm enough to sit outside in t-shirts.
Me and mine made a little video to accompany the song in our modest back garden. Here it is the mp3 is available underneath or from the music player in the right hand column, where you can also find the rest of the A Song A Week songs.
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This weeks song is called The Farmer and the Badger. I wrote it olast night about 9pm and have just quickly recorded it. Very last minute as the song I first wrote for this week sounds like a mid-life crisis set to a tune and by the weekend my middle aged angst had hidden itself away. You’ll get that song when my crisis lasts a full week.
Somebody asked me to write about Badgers and for some reason I have. Not being a country boy I don’t know the full ins and outs of the farmer/badger wars but both are symbols of our country.
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Usual podcast and feeds to the right of this site.
The full band is going to play a set at Stamps in Crosby Village on Sunday 11th May at 6pm. We now have a wurlitzer played by Liz Rothwell and its all sounding good if ragged.
Not sure of the title for this one: All For One but I suppose it sums it up.
This song came from being in a part of Liverpool that was like a warzone and meeting some decent people who were scared and scarred by life. Poverty’s not only relative it’s real. If a certain few are getting incredibly rich, it’s because they have access to money that might otherwise go toward the common good. Ok, I’m an old school lefty, but it strikes me as mad that people have to pay for higher education; public transport is so unstable and expensive that without a car there’s little point in leaving your immediate enviroment and looking at an horizon; social clubs are dying and it’s sad, they were (and in the odd case still are) are a self policing place were generations/neighbours met and got to communicate. It just seems like the world is one big con about money.
So of course I’ve put it all right in a little 3 minute pop song.
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10 points if you know where I’ve stolen part of the last verse from.
Podcast details to the right.
Proper German beer is a treat. That’s all that needs to be said really but I’ll go on. In Germany it is poured like guinness, taking 5 minutes or so to settle and be ready. Always worth the wait. That is my tip for this week.
The song is called Drinking German Beer
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Podcast with all the song a week songs to the right. You can share it via email or add it to your myspace/website etc.
This weeks song is called The Trouble With Me and is all me own work. It was originally to be called The Killer In Me but ended up with the rather more pathetic (in the sympatheic definition of the word) subject matter. I could just have strung a load of words together, however.
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Also, a recording of the band playing Sweet Libra in my attic. It’s a single mic in the middle of the room and is onlt the third time we’d played it through. I like the vibe though.
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We’ve been rehearsing for some gigs in May and beyond. Martyn is no longer playing bass with us - BUT he’s still my best mate and will probably jump on stage Spinal Tap style in the future. Steve Rothwell has moved from da drums to bass; Chris is still tethered to the guitar; Mark Byrne has joined is to hit the drums in a boss fashion. I’m loving it.
This version of Sweet Libra is not in the Song A Week podcast - my demo of it is -(see right hand columns) but The Trouble With Me Is.
No tricks this week, just guitar and vocal.
The song is called What You Need and the lyric is from a poem of the same name by Lizzie Nunnery.
I’m playing a gig with Lizzie on 18th April (see gig page) in Melling and Lizzie has a fantastic EP out now called Hungry.
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Add the podcast for all the songs - see panel lower right of page - or add them to your own RSS/podcast feed.
Ok, 3 months in now, song number 14. It’s getting difficult, I’ve used all my tricks up. Skin of my teeth this week. Logged on to Trailer Star’s website and came up with a tune for the lyrics of this weeks song ‘Down By The River’. Trailer’s lyrics are slightly more poetic than the way I’ve rendered them but he’s an Arsenal fan and with all the big games against them coming up I’m going to do anything to make him feel bad. Really bad. This song has a nagging chorus which might just see him off.
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I’m going to have to change things to get through a whole year of songs without just repeating myself but how I don’t know yet. I still have a number of ideas/lyrics and things sent into me but I can’t just force it so I have to wait and let them happen somehow. Which is good in a way but also shows up my lack of any real musical ability and leaves me alone with my tricks, which I can’t disclose being a member of the Magic Songwriters Circle.
Podcast subscriptions to the right of the page as per. Jokers to the left, ho ho.
Anyone with any lyrics/ideas etc let me know. Those of you who have sent stuff but haven’t seen them turned into songs, I apologise, hopefully, soon come.
This weeks song is called Buddy Holly Sung The Songs. I wrote it for Spencer Leigh’s Buddy Holly Special on Radio Merseyside.
I love Buddy Holly’s music and so it was a real privilege to appear on the show with Tommy Allsup, Buddy’s guitarist and the man who lived because he lost the toss of a coin to see who would travel on the plane that killed Buddy, The Big bopper, Richie Valens and the pilot Roger Peterson. I played a version of Everyday, my Buddy song, then joined Tommy’s band to play Rave On (I hid a bit as i didn’t know the right chords………).
Here’s the song play or right click to download
Here’s a couple of photos kindly sent to me by Dave Acaster. Tommy, a phenomenal guitarist is in the hat.
I went for a drink with Jimmy Stevens a fine singer-songwriter who had a superb album out in the early 70’s entitled ‘Don’T Freak Me Out. it’s available from Jimmy via ebay. Jimmy still plays in Liverpool and was good mates with Jimmy Campbell sadly deceased Liverpool songwriting legend. Jimmy’s album features John Bonham and Peter Frampton among others.
A seriously great 2 hours of music only spoilt by the BBC only allowing the rugby commentary on the listen again facility….. city of culture………..
Thanks to Spencer and the Radio Merseyside staff for putting together a great show and for inviting me on.
Well what a week that was. Started off with 3 days in bed laid up on my back (always the best position in bed unless…. well that’s a whole other website). Then a panic for my song for this week. I watched The Move doing Fire Brigade on the BBC iplayer and loved that it was just guitar, bass and drums, no overdubs so I wanted to do this weeks really raw like that. It sounds more like The Jam though but I’m ok with that. No sooner had I written it than Spencer Leigh the wonderful and knowledgeable host of Radio Merseyside’s On The Beat Show phoned to ask if I’d do another song on the Saturday (15th March) Buddy Holly Special and could it be one I’d write specially for the show. Well I ask you! So I did and maybe that will be next weeks song. I’ll certainly be doing a post about Spencer’s show which was absolutely a corker with none-stop Buddy Holly music. Tell you all about it next week.
Song below. Podcast stuff in the right hand column.
Sooooo, here’s song fonumber 12; Worthless Gold. Rough and ready and proud of it.
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Don’t forget the EP From Speke To Waterloo (see previous entry) is out today and as it’s my daughter’s birthday you should buy it so I can lavish her with presents. She deserves them. Happy birthday Rosa xxx
The new and indeed, first EP from Steve Roberts & The Bank of England is now available to buy. You can choose from your favourite digital music store (see below) or buy a CD version from here.
The CD is £2.50 including p&p.
The songs have been picking up some nice bits of airplay both locally and around the country but I could do with more! If you know of a local Radio DJ who might be interested let me know.
Steve 
This weeks song, Chavasse Park, is a co-write with Lizzie Nunnery. Inspired by a poem of Lizzie’s about the park, down towards the Liverpool waterfront, that has been ‘redeveloped’ as part of the city’s march toward capitalist of culture status. Lots of wonderfully expensive new shops will be opening there very soon. I can barely wait…
I really like this song but would love to re record it as like many of the ASAW tunes, it’s been put together pretty quickly. Anyway, here it is song number 11. Don’t forget it’s also available via podcast and RSS. Choose your weapon from the right hand column.
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